Skittles
by ToastyToaster22
Summary: Possibly the most long-winded explanation of where Takeru got all those hats he wears in Tri. A story of recovery and of brotherhood through the eyes of one emotionally constipated Yamato Ishida. Now Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Haha wow. Its been ten years since I published anything on . I am proud to say that for the first time I have an entire story plotted out and more than halfway written. This is a huge undertaking for me, and I have been writing at a very turbulent time in my life. I've recently gotten engaged, moved, and changed jobs, and writing has been the one thing keeping me sane.**

 **I will complete this fic. I am uploading Chapter 1 to see what people think, and then will not be updating until I have the entire thing written out. I refuse to not finish it, or not update for months at a time. So once its all on my computer I will probably update twice a week or so.**

 **This story was originally meant to be mostly humor. Not sure what happened there, but I promise it will lighten up at some point. Please enjoy Chapter One of Skittles!**

* * *

Yamato's mind was reeling. How could this be happening? He was so used to disasters of the digital variety that the idea that something could happen to them in the real world seemed almost laughable. After everything they survived in the Digital World, how could anything so normal as a car accident be so devastating? It was a thought he couldn't shake.

"You should probably call your mom," Taichi interrupted his agonizing with a hand on his shoulder.

Yamato swallowed uneasily. That was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Of course the things at the top of his list, screaming, crying, running through this goddamn hospital and finding his brother, were frowned upon. So he settled for sitting agitatedly in his terribly uncomfortable chair in the waiting room, glaring at anyone who sent a sympathetic glance his way and jiggling his leg.

"She'd want to know," Taichi added quietly.

Yamato snapped his head around and hissed at him.

"Don't you think I know that?"

On Taichi's other side, Yuuko Yagami looked startled by his aggressive answer. Taichi however, looked entirely unimpressed.

"So call her," He pressed. "Before your dad gets here and he has to do it."

Yamato grimaced. That wouldn't be pretty. The last thing anyone needed now was a screaming match in the ER. The waiting room was barely controlled chaos already. It wasn't every day that a drunk driver slammed into the Odaiba Rainbow Bus. Why, why, _why_ did Takeru take the bus back from Tamachi instead of the train? Why did he have to go to Ken's apartment with Daisuke at all? Him and Ken weren't _that_ close. Since when did Takeru and Daisuke get along anyway, he thought bitterly. But no, that wasn't quite fair. The boys had been getting along better for a while now, and Takeru had been joining Daisuke and Ken on more and more outings and guy's nights. He had been really excited about it. Yamato had been happy for him too. It gave him and Taichi a little more space. Not that it wasn't cool for his little brother to hang out for movie night too, but Takeru still hated scary movies and sometimes Yamato and Taichi wanted to watch something rated R. There were certainly things in those movies that the kid wasn't old enough to be hearing yet. So yeah. He had been happy to hear that Takeru was invited out tonight, except now he totally wasn't because _now they were waiting in the friggin' emergency room._

"I'm going to call her," Taichi's voice snapped him out of another set of spiraling thoughts. He pulled out his cell phone.

Yamato slapped it out of his hand.

"The Hell you will," He snapped, standing and yanking his own phone out of his jacket pocket. He pretended not to see the small victorious smirk on his friend's face. Clicking on his mother's number, Yamato felt his palms begin to sweat. What exactly was he supposed to say to her?

It turned out it didn't matter. The phone rang ten or so times and went to voicemail. Yamato opened his mouth to say... what? He hung up and turned back to Taichi, feeling decidedly cowardly as he looked into the face of Courage.

Taichi, luckily, did not look ashamed of him.

"Do you want to try again?"

Yamato slumped back into his chair and fiddled with the phone hesitantly.

"The hospital probably already called her," It was a weak excuse.

"But they might not have been able to. You said she's in Paris, right? That's why Takeru was staying with you in the first place this week," Taichi reasoned. "They might not make international calls."

Yamato growled in frustration.

"Fine," He flipped the phone open and pressed redial. Again, it rang and was sent to voicemail, yet when he opened his mouth his eyes filled with tears and his chest clenched tight. He froze. No, no, no. No way was he going to cry on the phone to his mother. A funny sound bubbled in his throat and the phone was yanked away from him. He was vaguely aware of Taichi speaking as he slowly covered his face with his hands. He did not want talk to his mother. He did not want to be here. He did not want to think about the fact that somewhere in the building Takeru was in _surgery_ and his own brother didn't even know what for. The ER receptionist had regretfully informed him that she could not divulge any patient information to anyone but the legal guardian.

Somehow his father still counted in an emergency, and Hiroaki was thankfully on his way.

Yamato let his hands fall into his lap and heard the tail end of Taichi's message.

"-will stay as long as he lets me."

"Hey, you can leave any time," He grumbled loudly as his friend snapped the phone closed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not going anywhere," Taichi returned to his seat and handed the phone back to its owner. Yamato wondered if he looked as tired as he felt. They had been there almost two hours, but it felt like ten.

Taichi gave a wry chuckle.

"You know, you're handling this surprisingly well. If it was Hikari in there, you'd have had to punch me by now."

Yamato snorted wetly.

"If it were Hikari in there, I would have had to tie you to that chair," He gave a humorless chuckle. Taichi's laugh was a bit more genuine. "But if it was Hikari, I would have to tie Takeru down too..."

Taichi sobered as Yamato looked at him questioningly. He sighed in return.

"I'm not telling Hikari anything until I have something to tell her. She's at Miyako's tonight. I'll let her have a night of fun before I break her heart."

Taichi raised his eyes to meet Yamato's, but they quickly focused on something over his shoulder.

"Your dad is here."

Yamato whirled around in the creaky chair to see Hiroaki Ishida, looking probably the second most disheveled Yamato had ever seen him. A giant vampire blowing up the TV station was hard to beat to be fair though. He spotted them in the corner and headed over. Yamato's insides squirmed.

"Yamato! Anything new?" Hiroaki asked gruffly as soon as he was close enough.

Yamato just shook his head.

"They might at least tell you something though. The lady wouldn't tell me shit because I'm still a minor," He ground out.

His father nodded distractedly and headed towards the front desk. He returned a surprisingly short time later, looking relieved.

"He's in surgery for a wrist injury," He answered his son's questioning stare, dropping into the chair on Yamato's right. "He should be out soon, and we can go see him."

Yamato felt numb, tingly almost. A wrist injury? That didn't sound life threatening. Not like anything he had been picturing since he saw the crash report on the news. He felt Taichi pat his arm and Mrs. Yagami stood on the edge of his vision. Was that his only injury? Or had Dad just not asked? Sure Takeru was getting his wrist fixed, but he had been _hours_. How long does that kind of surgery take? He had no idea.

Someone walked in front of him and he jolted back to the present. Mrs. Yagami was leaving, but his best friend still sat stubbornly beside him. He settled back and tuned the world out again.

After a little while he heard Taichi start up a conversation with Hiroaki, despite Yamato sitting between them. The words floated around his head but made little sense. He felt his eyes getting dry and his eyelids began to feel heavy. He blearily looked at the time on his phone. It was almost 11:30pm. Normally he wouldn't have difficulty staying up this late on a Friday night. Goodness knows he was up much later on nights they played concerts. Yet this kind of mindless sitting and waiting was wearing on him in a way he hoped to never experience again. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a few minutes they wouldn't be so itchy. He let them fall.

"Takaishi?" A voice called out clearly above the chatter.

Yamato surged forward before his eyes had even opened all the way. Taichi was right beside him as he shouldered his way through the crowded room towards the doctor near the reception desk. It amazed him how the body could be nearly unconscious one moment and filled with adrenaline the next. Hiroaki arrived moments after the two teens stopped short in front of the man.

"Are you Takeru's guardian?" He asked.

"I'm his father. How is he?" Hiroaki answered shortly.

"I'm Takeru's attending physician, Rentaro Nakashima. Your son has been moved to the children's ward and should be just about settled in, so we can head up that way while we talk," He gestured through the double doors with his clipboard.

Yamato was glad they weren't going to waste time standing around the waiting room. He was beyond ready to see his little brother.

"Takeru just got out of surgery for a badly broken wrist, " Doctor Nakashima began in a clear voice as they walked down the hallway. "We were forced to insert two metal pins in order to keep bone fragments in place. He should have these removed in a matter of weeks, and the wrist should heal normally. He may experience reduced range of motion when his cast is removed, but there are many exercises and stretches we can recommend."

"Is it his left or right?" Yamato couldn't help from blurting out as they stepped into an elevator. Takeru would be crushed if he couldn't write or play basketball.

"His left," The older man replied, pressing the button for the sixth floor.

Yamato could have smiled.

"Good," He whispered.

Taichi stood stonily at his side like a bushy haired shadow.

"Takeru also had a range of minor contusions and lacerations typically seen in vehicle incidents-"

"What?" Yamato knew he knew those words but at nearly midnight his brain was slow to catch up with the doctor's mouth. Hiroaki sent him an almost irritated look.

"Minor cuts and bruises," Doctor Nakashima clarified. "He has some moderate bruising on the left side of his face, which may spread in the next few days, so do not be alarmed if you come in tomorrow morning and see that he has acquired a black eye overnight."

They left the elevator and Yamato was startled to see that the walls in this hallway hardly resembled the ones downstairs. The paint was a light blue, and white clouds decorated the ceiling. Each door had a sticker of a cartoon face under the nameplate. Most had their eyes closed, most likely indicating that the patient was sleeping, but here and there Yamato spotted one that was awake and smiling, and one that was frowning.

"This brings me to Takeru's most pressing injury," The doctor continued, now sounding quite serious. He stopped in front of a door with a sleeping face and turned to face them. "In the crash he received a severe blow to the head. He was brought in unconscious, so we were not able to discern the full extent of the damage. The initial CT scan showed significant swelling on the left side of the skull, along with some hairline fractures. He was given three stitches near his temple. These injuries should heal well enough on their own, and luckily there was no signs of hematoma- It's when blood pools in the brain cavity and puts pressure on the brain and skull," He explained when Hiroaki glazed at him with a blank expression.

Yamato was having a hard time processing all this. So was Takeru _okay_? Taichi stood so close that their shoulders touched. One of them was shaking slightly. He wasn't sure whose.

"With this serious of a concussion there are many repercussions that we will not be aware of until he wakes, but we have been able to rule out any type of paralysis. He also scored very highly on the Glascow Coma Scale, which means that when the sedation wears off from the surgery, he should be able to slip into a normal sleep and wake up relatively quickly. This is an extremely good sign. However there are effects of a serious concussion that may be present when he awakes. Amnesia, hearing or vision loss, loss of coordination, nausea, and even mental retardation are all possibilities," He sounded regretful, raking a tired hand through his black hair.

"I am sorry I don't have more answers for you now. Once your son wakes we can do a more thorough examination. He will definitely need an MRI to detect any potential brain damage."

Yamato tuned the doctor out and looked around at Taichi, feeling more lost than he could ever remember feeling. Getting dropped in the middle of a monster filled jungle didn't compare to the confusion and anxiety that gripped him now. His friend had such a pained look on his face that Yamato had to look away. In all his wallowing and agonizing he had pretty much forgotten that Taichi was practically Takeru's other big brother. They spent so much time together in the Digital World... More time than he himself had. He used to hate how Takeru looked up to their fearless leader, but had swallowed his pride years ago. Taichi had been what Takeru needed at the time, encouraging, supportive, and more than anything, _present._

A hand gently pushed him towards the door.

"Go get him, tiger. Say hi for me, okay? I'll be right here."

Yamato's eyes flooded with tears. He wasn't sure he had ever been so grateful of Taichi before.

"You got it."

* * *

Yamato stared down at his little brothers face, breathing shallowly. Takeru was pale, with ugly dark bruises coating the left side of his head. The doctor was right, they were already blossoming under his eye and streaking out across his cheek. A strip of cloth at his temple covered the small path of stitches. His hair stuck up at odd angles, looking slightly damp. Yamato's stomach lurched when he realized the nurses must have had to wash blood out of his hair.

His brother laid half reclined on the bed with the sheet pulled up to his chest, head flopped limply to the right. Yamato took solace in the fact that Takeru's breathing was steady and he didn't need the help of one of those oxygen tube things. That was good, right? No broken ribs, no internal bleeding. Small blessings. At least he was alive, right? Man, he was not good at being optimistic. That was all Takeru's thing.

Hiroaki rested a heavy arm around his shoulders, sighing deeply.

"Come on, we're staying at the Yagami's tonight. Yuuko offered. Its closer to the hospital," He grunted, eyes still glued to his youngest's face.

Yamato swallowed dryly.

"When can we come back?"

"Six." He said with an air of finality that meant they would not be even a minute late.

Yamato brushed his fingers along Takeru's lime green cast.

"We'll be here when you wake up Teeks."

 _I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

**WOW. I did not quite expect the amount of alerts and feedback I have gotten in just like, what? 48 hours? Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please let me know if you think someone feels weird or out of character. That's one of my biggest struggles, so I would love to hear back about that.**

 **Ooh, do I still need to do disclaimers? I totally don't own Digimon. If I did it would pretty much be the Takashida/Yagami siblings show.**

 **If you want to thank someone for this chapter being published early, send them to ittybittymattycommittee (whose tumblr is hilarious) and dnofsunshine (who has wonderful Takashida family stories of her own). Those two have been more than supportive!**

* * *

A change in the monotonous beeping of the heart monitor startled Yamato out of his exhausted stupor. His own heart leapt into his throat and he felt the beginnings of a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck.

"Dad..." His voice was nearly steady, good.

Takeru's calm, even breathing turned shallow and his brow furrowed.

Was something wrong? Was he waking up? Was he in pain, having a nightmare? Yamato's thoughts jumbled and turned to mush. The nurse had said to do something when this happened, but the agitated look on his brother's face made it impossible to recall. His own breathing raced to match his sibling's.

"Dad."

Takeru's right hand twitched and clenched. A tiny noise escaped him and Yamato froze.

"Dad!"

Hiroaki jolted out of his chair, hair sticking up from where his head had been propped in his hand. Neither one of them had slept much the night before. Maybe an hour, max.

"What happened?" He half shouted, looking back and forth between his sons.

If the situation had been different Yamato might have snorted at his father's dazed appearance, but now he was just doing his best not to completely panic.

"I don't know, he just-" God, his chest ached. "Is he waking up?" This was worse than sitting and waiting. It was the moment of truth. He was about to find out if Takeru was going to be okay, and he suddenly found himself wishing he had more time to prepare. What if he had amnesia? Didn't that happen all the time on TV? He wouldn't know what to do with himself if his little brother had no memory of him. Or of the Digital World. Would he remember Patamon? He felt vaguely nauseous. How on Earth would he explain to the little Digimon that his partner had forgotten him, even if it was only temporary?

"Yamato sit down before you fall down," His father's quiet, rough voice broke through his thoughts. He ripped his eyes from Takeru's face and sucked in a strained breath.

Hiroaki slid past him as Yamato sunk back into his chair. When had he stood up? He watched as the older man stood by Takeru's head, looking at the bruises that had blossomed out all around the boy's left temple and under his eye. More gently than Yamato had even seen, his father reached onto the bed and held the small fingers that reached past the bulky cast on Takeru's wrist. Takeru's breathing seemed to even out a small amount at the contact. Yamato stared. Since when was his hand so tiny? Yamato tended to think of Takeru and the other Chosen Children as practically adults with everything they had gone through. Takeru and Hikari has saved both worlds twice already and Takeru was almost two years older than he himself had been when they entered the Digital World the first time. Yamato certainly felt older than sixteen, except for maybe right about now.

Looking down at the hand dwarfed by their father's...Takeru was _twelve._ Thirteen in two months, but twelve nonetheless. Head injuries don't care how old you are or how many times you saved the world. They were standing in the pediatric ward for heaven's sake! He was just a kid.

The door behind him opened and a nurse strode in. She spared each of them a smile before quickly looking over the chart attached to the end of the hospital bed. Yamato was quite sure she had introduced herself at some point earlier, when they had been getting Takeru settled maybe, but Yamato had been in such a whirlwind that her name had escaped him. She pressed the little blinking red button next to the chart and it went dark.

The nurse gave the heart monitor a glance before turning her attention to Mr. Ishida.

"Is he waking up? He looks like he is in pain," Hiroaki asked before she could say anything.

"He was given a regional anesthesia for the surgery, but it should be wearing off about now. We need to find out his discomfort level before administering more pain killers," She paused and pulled a pen out of the pocket of her scrubs. "He does appear to be coming around, so I am going to ask that you step to the other side of the bed and stay quiet until I am done assessing your son. He needs to be unbiased when he answers and some children find this difficult when their family is in the room. I may request you leave the room temporarily if he becomes distracted," The woman pulled Yamato's abandoned chair up to the edge of the bed as Hiroaki and Yamato shuffled awkwardly to the side.

The blonde boy resisted the urge to grab his brother's free hand. He grabbed the bedrail instead and squeezed it a few times, taking a deep breath. Please be okay, Takeru, _please._ His father was silent beside him, radiating tension.

The nurse set Takeru's chart on her knee and rested her left hand gently on his arm. Softly but firmly she asked,

"Are you with us? Try to open your eyes if you can, dear," She poised her pen over his chart and studied the boy's face intently.

Takeru squirmed a little and looked rather distressed, but after a few moments managed to get himself under control enough to scrunch his face up and peek one eye open the smallest amount. Immediately he winced and tried to turn his head away from the light, slamming his eye shut again.

"Sir, could you turn the lights down? The dimmer switch is next to the door," She directed her gaze towards Hiroaki, who hurried to obey. "That's enough, thank you," The woman returned to Takeru.

"Could you try that again for me? It won't be so bright this time. You can just nod or shake your head if you don't feel up to talking yet," She patted his arm and he turned his head back to her, giving the smallest of nods.

He took a bracing breath and opened his eyes. They certainly were pointed in the nurse's direction, but even from where Yamato stood he could tell Takeru wasn't quite looking _at_ her. Confusion evident on his face, he blinked a few times, slow and deliberate. The nurse's pen scribbled furiously for a moment. Takeru let out a huff and tried again to focus on the woman in front of him, squinting heavily.

The initial relief Yamato had felt when he saw his brother with his eyes open started to recede and the bubble of worry felt hot in his chest again. No. He was okay. Take a deep breath. Doctor Nakashima said it was normal for a concussion patient to wake a bit disoriented. It was to be expected in Takeru's case. It didn't have to be anything serious. Relax. He hit his head really hard and he was just confused and groggy from being put under, that was all.

Takeru started to pick up his left hand as if to rub at his eyes but paused with his hand halfway to his face. He stared in his hand's general direction and squinted again, looking completely perplexed as if never having seen a cast before. The boy winced terribly when his eyes suddenly crossed and he slammed them shut again. The nurse patted his arm and he dropped his hand, slowly bobbling his head back in her direction and opening his eyes again. This time he appeared to be staring over her left shoulder. His breathing was rather erratic and he was becoming more confused by the second.

The nurse held up her pen a little ways in front of Takeru's face.

"I need you to look at the pen, dear. Can you do that for me?" Her voice was calm and neutral, but Yamato saw the lines forming on her forehead as a bad sign.

Takeru stared in her direction, wide eyed, like she had asked him to see the future. He slowly lowered his gaze to where the pen was, but then continued down past it. His breathing sped up significantly as he shakily began looking down around on the sheet. The nurse quickly clipped her pen to the clipboard and placed it under her seat when Takeru drunkenly pushed himself up so that he was nearly sitting upright. Takeru heard the clack of the chart on the tile and whipped his head in the direction of the noise, lurching suddenly to the side. Yamato and Hiroaki darted forward to catch him, but the nurse had him by the bicep and held up her hand to halt their movement. She scooted to the edge of the chair and moved so that she had one of his hands in hers and started rubbing his back as he gasped.

"I need you to breathe with me for a moment, in and out, in and out, long and slow, okay? I know you are very confused and your vision is acting funny right now, but that will probably go away soon. In and out, nice and slow with me, okay? Good," She gave him a smile he did not see and squeezed his hand a little. He calmed slightly, his eyes scrunched closed again. Laying slowly back on the bed with the nurse's help, Takeru raised his left arm and put it over his eyes.

"Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten for me?" A small nod. "Okay how about we start with your wrist, how does that feel?"

Takeru held up three fingers. The nurse marked the chart. Yamato tried to swallow his own heart.

"Okay, how does your head feel right now?"

Takeru's mouth stretched into a wobbly grimace and he gave a wet sounding sniffle. He swallowed. In the smallest voice Yamato had ever heard him use, he whimpered out,

"Seven?"

His nurse jotted down a few notes.

"Eight," He answered a second time, sounding miserable.

"Is it getting worse?" The woman briefly stood and opened a door that revealed a small bathroom, reaching in for a moment and coming back to the bed with a hand towel. She folded it twice and gently moved her patient's arm so that she could cover his eyes.

"Yeah."

"Does the towel help?" She sat back down and held up a finger towards Yamato, signaling to give her just a minute more. Yamato just wanted to comfort Takeru, let him know they were there and everything was going to be okay, even if maybe it _wasn't._

"Okay just a few more questions honey, you are doing great," She said after he shrugged. "What is your name?"

"Takeru Takaishi," He whispered.

"What is today's date?"

Yamato held his breath as Takeru bit his lip momentarily.

"Uh, 2003. Its still April 11th, right?" He sounded legitimately worried that he was wrong.

The woman smiled kindly, "It's the morning of the 12th, Takeru, but that's alright. You were asleep overnight. One more question and then we can be all done. Do you remember what happened?"

Takeru's voice shook. "No."

The nurse leaned forward concern on her face.

"You don't remember the anything?"

Takeru lay his arm back over the towel and sniffed.

"Well I, I was at Ken's house...In Tamachi with Daisuke and- Well I took the bus home 'cause its ...its Friday and the trains are always so full. I...I was tired and wanted to sit. So... so I took the bus and I had a window seat and I- I think I fell asleep. I don't remember seeing the bridge at all," He managed to choke out.

The nurse looked at them for confirmation. Hiroaki managed a weak nod. Yamato closed his eyes and thanked whatever god that would listen that Takeru wouldn't be haunted by the crash on top of whatever hardships he had facing him now. He opened them in time for the nurse to ask Takeru if there was anything she could do for him now to make him more comfortable.

Yamato thought his heart would explode when Takeru let out a hoarse sob and cried,

"I just want my onii-chan!"

Yamato was on the bed and pulling his little brother into his arms before the nurse raised her hand to wave him ahead.

* * *

 **Gosh, I'm so mean. What is my problem? Sorry.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh man, I thought _I_ was being mean? Toei needs to go sit in the corner and think about what they've done. I can honestly say I did not cry watching Kokuhaku because I felt rather numb throughout most of it. Like, I think I took my heart out, watched it, and then after put my heart back in and was just left with a dull pain. Probably the only way I could have survived it. I don't really know how I feel, but I don't think its good.**

 **On another note, I worked my butt off the other day and now have through chapter 6 completed. I may take a few days to just stare at the wall and try not to think about Kokuhaku.**

 **This chapter has a little humor in it, so maybe that will make you feel like you aren't dying inside.**

 **So yeah, I don't own Digimon.**

* * *

Yamato lunged onto the hospital bed and pulled his little brother into his arms. He knew he shouldn't really be jostling him but Takeru was scared and hurting and _crying damnit._ He wasn't just going to stand there.

Takeru's good arm flung out to the side at the sudden contact, failing to find anything to steady him.

"Onii-chan?"

"I'm here Teeks, I've got you. Dad's here too. Everything's going to be okay, okay?" He brushed some hair away that had gotten stuck under the hand towel.

Takeru's whole face screwed up and he reached out, finding Yamato's shirt and pressing himself more solidly against his brother's chest. The older boy rubbed his back and whispered reassurances while he cried. He adjusted Takeru so that he wasn't pulling awkwardly at the IV attached to the inside of his left elbow. Yamato finally managed to settle himself so that his brother was practically in his lap, not that the other boy seemed to mind from the way he was clinging to him.

"Everything hurts, onii-chan," He sobbed, pushing his face into the crook of Yamato's neck. Even with the towel over his eyes he seemed to be trying to escape the dim light of the room.

 _Yamato was going to murder the bastard that did this to his brother._

"I know, I know, I'm sure they'll give you something in a sec," He mumbled, looking around the room to find the nurse. She was by the door discussing something with their dad too quietly for him to hear, but by the looks on their faces it was not something to be interrupted. Yamato scowled in their direction.

Though the anxiety caused by not knowing what would be wrong with Takeru when he woke up had dissipated, this new tightening in his chest wasn't any better. He felt sick knowing his happy go lucky, bright as sunshine little brother was in so much pain. He continued to mutter platitudes into Takeru's mussed up hair and fiddled with the collar of his brother's hospital gown. He didn't really want to see how far down those bruises continued.

Takeru's crying was slowing, and Yamato expected the boy to maybe fall back to sleep in his exhaustion. After a few moments he became aware that that was the opposite of what was happening. Takeru's grip on the back of his shirt was tightening. He could feel the smaller body's shaking intensify and concern squeezed his heart.

"Teeks, what's wrong?"

His brother's only response was to grope blindly at the towel that was squashed against Yamato's shoulder. He pulled at it weakly before settling on grabbing a fistful of his hair instead. Takeru sucked in a wavering breath and held it.

"Seriously Takeru, what's wrong?" Yamato could feel Takeru's heart pounding under the thin fabric of the hospital gown. The younger blonde's whole body was tense, curling in on itself, straining against something Yamato couldn't see.

Takeru gasped, fist tightening in his hair. Yamato tried threading his own fingers between the smaller ones, but his brother's grip was unyielding.

"Hot- Its hot...I don't- Make it stop, onii-chan, _please."_

He could pick up the shattered remains of his heart later.

"Would you give him something already?" Yamato shouted harshly over his shoulder.

The talking pair had two very different reactions. Hiroaki looked for a second like he would shout back, frustration written across his face. He shut his mouth when he saw his sons. The nurse on the other hand hurried over immediately, taking her patient's distress in stride. She quickly hooked up a much smaller bag below Takeru's IV drip and made the necessary connections.

"I'm sorry for the delay." She apologized whole-heartedly. "I needed to make sure that Takeru doesn't have any medicinal related allergies. That part of his medical records was left blank. There should have been an entry that at least showed that he tested negatively. It was most likely just an oversight," She laid a hand on the back of Takeru's neck, frowning at the heat the radiated off of him. "He should be feeling the effects momentarily,"

"Why is he so hot? Does he have a fever?" Hiroaki asked, suddenly beside his children.

"It's most likely just a stress response to the pain," The young nurse explained, shaking her head. "I need to report back to Takeru's doctor right now, but please call the nursing desk if you need anything. Dr. Nakashima should be along shortly to discuss how we will proceed from here. Call the nursing desk if he isn't feeling some relief within a few minutes," She smiled at the family and removed herself, closing the door softly behind her.

Hiroaki groaned and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Man I need a cigarette," He grunted.

Yamato could feel Takeru slowly uncurl, relaxing against his chest. No longer tight in his hair, his hand flopped limply against Yamato's shoulder. Yamato could just make out little red marks from his fingernails near his hairline.

" _Wow,_ is uh... is this morphine?" Takeru let himself slide lower on the bed. "Its great."

Yamato found he could finally smile.

"Only the best for my little bro," He tenderly ruffled Takeru's unruly mop. "Feeling better then?"

With a lopsided grin smeared over his face he tilted his head up as if he could see his brother.

"I love morphine," He let out something that might have been a giggle. "And I love you!" Takeru reached up like he was going to poke Yamato on the nose, you know, if he could see. Instead he just awkwardly jabbed him under the chin and proceeded to look utterly befuddled.

"That wasn't your nose."

Laughter burst from Yamato, startling his family.

"Man she gave you the good stuff, huh?"

* * *

"Oh my god, that's terrible," Yamato gagged, repulsed by what was being passed off as "coffee". He pushed it across the table towards his father, who shrugged and drank deeply from his own cup.

"Its not the worst I've had," Hiroaki picked up his son's discarded cup and began drinking from that too, tossing his empty one in the trash behind him. A mix of disgust and awe crawled over Yamato's face and he watched his father.

"You're amazing," He said, slightly horrified.

"I have an iron stomach. I was able to eat your mother's cooking for six years, wasn't I?"

"Well then Takeru must be able to eat anything by now, he's handled her meals for twice as long," Yamato countered.

"Yeah and look where he is now," Hiroaki froze, realizing what he had said. Very slowly he lowered his second coffee and met Yamato's wide eyes. "Do not tell your mother I said that," He warned.

"Do I look like I have a death wish? Jeeze, Dad," Yamato looked around the hospital cafeteria in paranoia, as if Natsuko Takaishi would just materialize and kill them both.

Conversation dwindled as Hiroaki fiddled with the styrofoam cup. Apprehension and lack of sleep had stifled both men's apatite for food and for talking as well.

"What time is he going to be back in his room?" Yamato asked, stifling a yawn.

He father glanced at his watch with drooping eyes. The coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

"Probably not for another half an hour, the MRI itself takes up to forty-five minutes,"

Groaning, Yamato laid his head on his arms.

"Wake me up when its time, then."

* * *

Around nine-thirty the Ishida men made their way back up to the children's ward. There were few other people in the halls. Yamato found himself wondering about the other people that had been on the bus with Takeru. Had any of them died? Or was Takeru the worst of the injuries? He didn't want either to be true. Not that he wished harm on anyone, but the idea that most people had walked away from the accident and his brother hadn't disturbed him. Takeru didn't deserve that.

Hiroaki knocked quietly on the door and peered inside.

"Excuse me, can we come back in now?"

A short answer followed and his father opened the door fully, walking inside. The lights were back at their normal brightness.

"Dad, hi!" Yamato heard from his brother.

"Hey kid."

The nurse from earlier was bent over the hospital bed so that Yamato couldn't see much of Takeru. When she straightened the chosen of hope was sitting up, an interesting looking bandage over his eyes and he was wearing a different hospital gown.

"I'm here too squirt," He added.

His dad walked over to Takeru and placed a hand on his small shoulder. Takeru smiled and turned his head towards the contact.

"Onii-chan, I fell asleep in the MRI machine," He said with a wide grin.

Everyone present chuckled, the nurse included.

"I'm over here, Takeru," Yamato patted his knee, thoroughly enjoying the moment of confusion that crossed his brothers face. Takeru scowled for just a moment, then slapped a snarky grin back on his face and turned back to Hiroaki.

"I fell asleep in the MRI machine, _Dad,"_ He corrected.

"He's certainly not the first one to do so," The nurse laughed airily. "Telling someone to lay still with their eyes closed for so long is an invitation for a cat nap. But his MRI went very smoothly, we were quite pleased with both Takeru and the results."

"Oh, you have them already?" Hiroaki asked, surprised. Yamato's stomach clenched for what felt like the hundredth time in not even eighteen hours. No, it would be okay. Takeru seemed happy enough and the nurse just said the outcome was good. No need to get upset. He sat on the bed near his brother's knee and rubbed it gently with his thumb.

"Yes, we have been able to confirm that there was no lasting brain damage. That being said, what Takeru is experiencing is still the results of what would qualify as a Traumatic Brain Injury. There is swelling around his optic nerves that is causing his eye strain. For the time being his eyes need to rest and wait for the swelling to reduce. Until the swelling goes down significantly, he will continue to experience symptoms such as blurred vision, light sensitivity and nausea if his eyes are left uncovered. That's what these are for."

The nurse gestured to the bandage that covered his eyes. It looked like two eye patches attached to a sleep mask, so that no light crept in around the edges. A wide, soft looking cloth band wrapped around the back of his head. She pointed to the rear of the mask.

"There is velcro in the back so that the mask is easy to remove, but it is better to keep it on for most of the day, both to reduce the strain and to avoid headaches. A nurse should be by once in the morning and once after dinner to see how he is progressing. Within a few days his vision should start to improve. If it does not, we have many therapies that may be beneficial. There are also corrective lenses made especially for these situations,"

Takeru nodded along, looking somewhat apathetic. He'd most likely been told this before they came back to his room. Hiroaki stood stock still at his side, stress radiating off of him in waves. Yamato tried not to cringe. Man, if Dad looked like that, he wasn't sure he wanted to be here when Mom arrived.

"What are his chances of making a full recovery?" His father asked stiffly.

Yamato found the nurse's smile shockingly reassuring.

"Takeru has a very high chance of recovering his vision back to what it was before the accident. All signs point to the swelling causing his symptoms, so it is not likely they will persist once the nerves are relieved of the pressure. Doctor Nakashima and I are very optimistic."

A heavy sigh escaped Yamato when his father pushed further.

"But there's a chance he'll be like this forever?"

The nurse came over to him and placed her smaller hand on his arm.

"Would you like to come with me to see his doctor? We can show you his CT scan and MRI and perhaps explain his condition in more detail," She asked kindly.

Their father seemed conflicted, looking back and forth between the nurse and his son.

Takeru pursed his lips and looked up towards Hiroaki.

"Dad, its okay. You can go if you want. Onii-chan will be here with me, right?" Takeru directed the last part to his brother.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Takeru smiled at him.

"See? I'm good here. You go talk and feel better," Man, Takeru knew how to butter people up.

Hiroaki admitted defeat and began following the nurse to the door. A moment later he paused and hurried back, grabbing Takeru in a sudden, gruff hug, and then hastened back to the door. Takeru froze, surprise all over his face.

"Is there anything you need before we go, Takeru?" The nurse paused at the door.

"No thanks, Hana," He muttered dazedly.

Yamato grabbed onto the name and tucked it away in the back of his head. When the door closed he moved up to sit next to his little brother on the bed. Takeru was still staring towards the door, a small, solemn look of the part of his face that Yamato could see.

"What's up?"

Takeru flinched and looked down, fiddling with the sheets.

"Dad must be really upset," The younger boy leaned over and rested bonelessly against his brother. "He said he loved me," The boy whispered.

Yamato could have sworn his eyebrows flew right off his head. Sucking in a breath he looked to the door as well.

 _Yikes._


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so this chapter took FOREVER to write and I don't even know why. Its a bit longer than most of the others, but not by too much. I have been having a really difficult time with Chapter 7. Jyou is not easy to write and I don't just want to leave him out of the story because he is "busy with exams", even though that would be so easy. All the kids will show up at some point.**

 **Now, please don't think I don't love Natsuko and Hiroaki. I think they are wonderful, loving parents, but this is an incredibly stressful situation for them and they are handling it the best they can. There's a lot of talking with doctors and paperwork and technical crap that goes with having a kid in the hospital that Yamato isn't seeing.**

 **Also, I am a total softie. I can't let my characters get too stressed before they get snuggled. My babies need hugs, and I will always provide.**

 **NOTE: This is very exciting for me because this chapter marks the start of the oneshots that go with Skittles! The collection is called Strobe. You don't have to read them to understand what is going on in Skittles, but they give helpful insights into other character's heads, and what's going on elsewhere.**

* * *

Over the course of the rest of the day, Yamato learned many things about morphine. One, morphine worked amazingly quickly when administered intravenously. Two, Takeru on morphine was pretty hilarious, though he was told most patients were not nearly as loopy as his brother became. And as he watched Takeru push away the rest of his lunch, he learned that morphine made people rather nauseous. Takeru had managed a few bland crackers and half a cup of applesauce before claiming he was done.

Hiroaki briefly returned to the room to explain that he was going to try to get in touch with Natsuko again, and catch her up if she wasn't currently on a plane. Takeru had nodded along drowsily.

"Do you want to take a nap? I'll stay here with you the whole time," Yamato offered, watching his little brother's head struggle to stay upright.

Takeru dropped his chin to his chest and bit his lip. Over the top of the mask, Yamato saw his eyebrows furrow for a moment.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," He added hastily, not quite understanding his brother's distress.

Takeru opened his mouth a few times, but kept hesitating.

"I- I'll wake up again, won't I?" He asked quietly.

Yamato felt like he had been punched in the gut. He reached out and grabbed Takeru's hand firmly.

"Don't you dare worry about that. The doctor told us last night that there was no chance of you slipping into a coma. You woke up naturally this morning and you shouldn't have any problems taking a little nap if you are tired. You slept while you had your MRI and you were fine. You need to rest," He said as reassuringly as possible.

The corner of Takeru's mouth twitched like he was considering smiling. After a moment he gave Yamato's hand a little thank you squeeze and settled back against the pillow. Yamato tucked the sheets up to his chest and sat back in his visitors chair, lightly putting his hand over Takeru's again.

The brothers were quiet for a moment before a thought struck Yamato.

"Everyone is going to want to know what happened," He said softly.

The injured boy groaned and Yamato might have heard a tiny, whispered _shit._

Yamato couldn't help but chuckle the smallest bit.

"Ugh everyone's going to want to visit, and freak out, and I don't think I can deal with Daisuke right now, onii-chan. He's so loud."

The chosen of friendship snickered lightly.

"We could just tell him not to visit if he's going to give you a headache."

Takeru yawned heavily.

"That's not nice, Onii-chan," He frowned again, seeming thoughtful. "I don't think I can _see_ anyone yet."

"Not even Hikari?" He couldn't help but ask. But his brother didn't blush or sputter. He just rolled onto his side and pulled the sheet up to his ear.

"Especially her," Takeru mumbled.

Yamato's eyes raked over his brother's form. The bruising on his face was still spreading, a mottled purplish blue. There were a few tender looking cuts on his ear and jaw as well. The mask covered some of the discoloration around his left eye, but he was still a mess. To be perfectly honest Yamato understood why Takeru would not want Hikari to see him. It was hard enough for even him to look too closely without getting a lump in his throat.

"What do you want me to tell them?" He whispered, not entirely sure his brother was still awake.

The room was quiet for a few moments before Takeru responded just as quietly.

"Just that I was in an accident. And that I'm going to be okay, but I'm too tired for visitors, I guess."

* * *

It turned out phrasing a message that simple was exactly the opposite. Yamato sat with Takeru until he was sure he was sleeping peacefully before pulling out his phone. He wasn't entirely sure he was allowed to use it in the hospital room, but he wasn't leaving anytime soon. The mass text was relatively long, despite the lack of details it contained. Of course now he had to deal with the backlash.

Koushiro had replied almost immediately, expressing his condolences and saying that when Takeru felt up to seeing people, he would come accordingly. Iori's was similar but contained an underlying sense of urgency and concern the other lacked.

If only they had all been that easy to reply to.

Luckily it had been Taichi who had asked if Takeru would allow Hikari to come anyway. Apparently she was too upset to type out a message herself. Yamato would have hated being the one that broke her heart. He sent what he hoped was a gentle rejection, and figured Taichi would find some nice way to explain it to her.

Miyako's all caps response was along the lines of _Why the hell didn't anyone tell me sooner?!_ To which he responded that _He had been kind of busy, thanks for understanding._

Ken sent a message from both himself and Daisuke, who had slept over at his house. They were guilt ridden that they hadn't checked to make sure Takeru had gotten home safely. They wanted to visit but would be waiting, rather impatiently it sounded, for Takeru to accept visitors. Yamato took a few extra moments to inform them that they were by no means responsible and that at the next possible free moment he would be checking to make sure the police charged the drunk driver appropriately. Note: severely.

Daisuke sent him a message from his own phone after that, filled with expletives Yamato hadn't been aware the boy knew and yelling about drivers needing to be more careful. He wasn't entirely sure he understood why Daisuke was so upset.

He sighed and leaned exhaustedly back in the chair as another message beeped in on his phone.

It was Sora.

" _Oh my gosh! I know you said Takeru is going to be okay, but I can't help but worry. Please give him a big hug for me. Are you doing alright, Yamato?"_

The young man was startled, then smiled fondly at the text. He knew that if Hikari was sick or hurt, Sora would be making sure Taichi was okay as well, but he couldn't help but feel a little flattered anyway.

He pondered about how to express his gratitude when another beep interrupted him. Sora's next text surprised him, why hadn't he thought of that? Typing back quickly, they started planning.

* * *

It was later that afternoon when Takeru woke up. Or really, his dad woke him up by stumbling into the room and dropping into a chair heavily. After a conversation with his ex-wife he was beyond exhausted, and the coffee was quickly wearing off.

"Sorry, kid. Didn't know you were asleep," Their father mumbled as Takeru stirred and blearily asked who was there. "Ugh, sleep sounds great. You mind if I head home for a little bit and get some shut eye? I have to call the office too. See if I can get at least part of tomorrow off."

Takeru yawned and rubbed at his face, wincing slightly.

"Is...Isn't tomorrow Sunday?" He asked hesitantly.

Yamato grimaced. Since when had that ever meant that Dad had the day off? He knew their mother worked nearly as much as Hiroaki, but always had Sundays off to spend at home with Takeru.

"Yeah, son. I'm sorry, but I was supposed to go in today and have to move my schedule around."

Yamato bit back a comment about how with all the overtime he worked, he must have a significant amount of sick time saved up. His child was in the hospital and he couldn't even use it then? No. He would not start an argument here. Takeru didn't need that now.

He watched as Hiroaki gave Takeru an awkward side hug, trying to avoid the worst of the injuries.

"I'll be back around seven for your eye test, okay? You won't even have time to miss me."

With that he gathered his jacket and hurried out the door, not daring to look at Yamato's disapproving stare.

The young man sighed and turned back to his little brother. Takeru was looking in the direction of the door with such a look of disappointment and longing on his face that Yamato had to look away again. How could he manage to be so expressive when he had that mask on? It wasn't fair. He took a calming breath and sat on the bed near his brother's knees.

"You okay?"

Takeru ducked his head and fiddled with the edge of his cast.

"My head hurts," He mumbled quietly.

Yamato could smell the lie a mile away, but for once in his life didn't call the boy out on it.

A sudden beep from his phone interrupted the brothers. Yamato quickly checked the message and put his phone back on the visitors chair.

 _"We'll be there in two."_

Smiling at his little brother, Yamato couldn't resist teasing him a tiny bit.

"Hey, guess what?" He asked cheerily.

Takeru frowned at his abrupt change in attitude, obviously confused.

"What?" He responded a bit warily. Yamato almost laughed.

"Oh nothing, nevermind."

At that Takeru's mouth dropped open in shock, and Yamato could hardly blame him. Teasing wasn't really his style, but god, anything to get Takeru to smile was welcome today.

"Onii-chan, what?"

"What?" He played innocent. Okay maybe teasing was kind of fun.

"What do you mean what? You said 'Guess what?'" He sounded indignant.

"Ohhh. I guess I did, didn't I?"

Takeru was probably glaring at him under the mask. The thought made the smallest chuckle escape him. This was going to be good. Totally worth it.

"Yes. Now, what?" Oh my gosh was Takeru trying to sound stern with him? Because he sounded more like he was pouting.

"I have a surprise for you," The knock on the door was absolutely perfect timing.

As he got up to answer it, Takeru seemed thoroughly startled.

"But onii-chan! I don't want to see anybody yet," He said anxiously.

Yamato patted his knee comfortingly.

"I know, Teeks. Everything's going to be okay. I think you'll like the surprise," He said in a tender voice reserved for his little brother only.

Takeru bit his lip and Yamato opened the door a crack. Awaiting on the other side was Sora and one very impatient digimon.

"There's no nurses in there, go get him buddy," And he opened the door wide enough for an orange blur to fling itself into the room.

"TAKERU!"

"PATAMON!" Takeru called delightedly. Yamato saw his little brother throw his arms out to the little digimon and Patamon wasted no time in snuggling as close to his partner as he could.

"I knew something was wrong and everyone thought I was crazy and I was scared and I knew you needed me and are you okay!? I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you!" Patamon was squeaking a mile a minute, but Takeru didn't seem to mind. He was hunched forward, crushing his partner to his chest. Yamato wasn't sure if he was crying or laughing, but it was probably a little of both.

Stepping into the hallway and leaving the door cracked just in case, he looked at Sora gratefully.

"Thank you so much for bringing Patamon. It was just what he needed. Really. Thank you, Sora."

Sora blushed at the praise.

"I just thought that the digimon should know. And Patamon is small enough to still be taken as a stuffed animal, so there's no real reason he couldn't come see Takeru," She hesitated slight before asking, "How is he doing?"

A long breath escaped him and he suddenly felt the weight of the last twenty hours on his shoulders. How on earth had it only been a day? He had only managed to doze in and out for an hour or so last night, and all the stress made him feel like he was sixty, not sixteen. He leaned back against the wall and tried not to look at Sora's concerned face. Her hand was warm on his arm and he fought the sudden intense urge to cry.

"Are you okay, Yamato?" The soft question warmed his heart a little. He cleared his throat and managed to look Sora in the eye.

"I'm just really tired, thank you Sora. I mean it. I'm okay, but not really because Takeru's not okay. He- I just... He's hurt and I can't really do anything but _be there_ , you know? God, he was just in so much pain this morning. And they had to do CT scans and MRI's and there's all this medical stuff and they explained it pretty well, but I don't totally get it all. And there isn't a ton they can do for him right now either and it just sucks. They've got him on morphine and it makes him all loopy, but nauseous too. Like he only managed a few crackers at lunch and I've seen that kid crush most of a pizza, and I know its normal and the nurse said she was surprised he ate anything at all...But I can't help it," He covered his face with his hands for a moment and took some steadying breaths.

Sora smiled up at him, but her eyes were sad. She looked like she was fighting with herself on something, but made up her mind and stepped towards him, slowly pulling Yamato in for a hug.

Yamato could honestly say he did not get hugged too often. His dad patted him on the shoulder a lot. Taichi would throw an arm around his neck and try to mess up his hair sometimes. Takeru hugged him a lot when they were younger, but even with him it was becoming less frequent. Gabumon had hugged him once or twice.

Yamato had not realized how much he missed it. He hesitantly returned the hug and buried his face in the soft fabric of her sweater. Smaller hands rubbed his back tenderly.

"Its okay to be upset, Yamato. It's a really terrible thing that happened and you're scared for him. Its natural to be overwhelmed."

A little part of his heart was soothed to hear those words. He was almost embarrassed, but he had to admit at least to himself, that he felt safe here. The knot in his chest loosened enough for him to start talking again.

"It's just, Dad had to go back home for a while, and he has to go back to work tomorrow. And Mom is somewhere between here and France, and talking to her is making Dad all stressed out," His voice was muffled slightly by the fabric, but Sora was nodding along so he was pretty sure she could hear him. "I think Takeru's trying to pretend he's okay when Dad's around, because he doesn't want Dad to be upset. But Dad _is_ upset and I don't really know what to do to help. He shouldn't have to do that. He needs to just relax. The nurse mentioned that concussions can make people really emotional, but Takeru loves having people around and just now he seemed honestly scared that someone had come to see him. That isn't normal. Its just all very confusing."

Good lord, Yamato could not remember the last time he had talked that much. He was exhausted, but felt a little better. A little less full. More than a little embarrassed now that he was done talking. He pulled out of the hug, suddenly feeling awkward and sweaty.

"Sorry Sora. Um, I should probably get back in there," He let out a strange forced cough.

To her credit, Sora looked way too understanding, and maybe a little pink in the cheeks as well.

"Yeah, I should go. Let me know how he is later, okay?" She turned and started back down the hall.

Yamato opened his mouth to say goodbye, but was interrupted by a call from inside the cracked door.

"Onii-chan?"

The older boy jumped and hurriedly stuck his head back inside.

"I'm still here Teeks, I was just saying goodbye to someone," He wasn't even sure Takeru knew who had come to drop off Patamon, but he didn't want the kid worrying about who was around.

"Is Sora still there?" He asked curiously.

Yamato faltered.

"Um, sort of, I mean I think she was just leaving... Want me to get her?"

"Yes, please."

The older boy wasn't sure Patamon was looking so happy because he was reunited with his partner or what, but the digimon had a strange, smug look on his face that Yamato couldn't explain. Whatever. He ran a few feet down the hall, hoping he wasn't bothering any other patients.

"Hey Sora!" He called as quietly as he could. "Sora!"

The red haired girl spun around, nearly to the elevators.

"Takeru wants to see you," He jerked a thumb back towards the room.

He couldn't quite tell from this distance, but he could have sworn she blushed. Yamato waited for her to get back, and pushed the door open for her.

Sora took one step inside and paused, a hand over her heart.

"Oh, _honey_ ," She whispered, her voice thick.

Takeru shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm okay, Sora, really. I just look like crap."

The chosen of love quickly made her way over to the younger boy, sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed. Patamon flew out of the way, perching on the arm of the chair Yamato slumped into.

They watched as Sora scooped Takeru up for a soft hug, smoothing out his hair and fussing over him. Takeru hugged her back the best her could and Yamato was pleased to see a warm little smile creep onto his brothers face. If Natsuko couldn't be here for her baby, Sora was the best next thing. And if Yamato spent a little extra time watching how her hair fell on her shoulders and enjoying the sound of her voice, well, who was going to know?

Apparently Patamon.

"Sora looks pretty today, huh?" The little digimon whispered to him slyly.

Yamato felt the heat rush to his face, but refused to deny it.

"Sora looks beautiful _every_ day."

* * *

 **To the guest who was wondering where Patamon was, there you go.**

 **This turned out way more shippy than I ever planned. I even kind of prefer Taiora in general, but when it comes down to it, I need Takeru to have a big sister to fuss over him.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everybody! Sorry if my updates for chapter 6 and 7 take a little longer than the rest of them have. I have changed chapter 6 so many times and finally just got my idea finalized. And chapter 7 is kicking my ass. I had no idea Jyou was going to be so hard to write. I feel like the whole story is slowly changing and I can't tell if its okay, or if I need to pull it back towards the original idea (which to be honest was pretty vague).**

 **I'm going to try really hard to keep the quality of this story high. I've just been very busy and a bit distracted. I started a new job on Friday and will have less time to write now.**

 **This is the turning point chapter, pretty much everything after this will be much more lighthearted. For those of you who are also reading Strobe, there will be THREE new chapters uploaded when chapter 6 of Skittles is published. So if you want to see Natsuko's side of the story, some Takeru/Natsuko feels, and some Takeru/Taichi snuggles, I highly suggest keeping an eye out.**

* * *

Sunday morning found Yamato grumbling to himself as he half stomped through the hospital's huge revolving doors. While he begrudgingly understood his father's good intentions, and _yes_ , he hadn't slept much at all Friday night, turning off his alarm clock was treasonous. Visiting hours started at six am and he didn't want to miss a second of Takeru's day. He didn't want him to have to wake up alone and technically in the dark. But now it was eight-forty and he was sure he had missed breakfast being served at this point.

Yamato reached Takeru's wing and stood in line at the reception desk moodily. There were two people checking in ahead of him, delaying him further. The teen let out a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. The waiting area for the pediatric ward was not Yamato's favorite place. Though the halls were colorful and gently lit, and murals and mosaics surrounded the numerous windows, Yamato felt anything but cheerful. While Takeru had been out of his room for the MRI yesterday he had paced around and gotten a pretty good look at the wing in between the terrible coffee and not being able to sleep in the cafeteria. He stopped by a room designed for relaxation and play for children who were staying long term. The children had seemed generally happy, enjoying the puzzles and art supplies and quiet music. Yet Yamato felt a deep sense of unease. He didn't want to think of the trials these kids were going through. He couldn't imagine Takeru happily playing in there. He wouldn't be able to see the puzzles, do a drawing, read a book. What could he do for fun now, or ever, if his vision was permanently blurred? Basketball was out. He loved reading, but that was out too. He would be devastated. Maybe he was exaggerating but there was a reason the Crest of Hope belonged to Takeru and not him.

"Sir?"

Yamato jerked his head up. The desk attendant was looking expectantly at him. He flushed, hurrying forward.

"Sorry, I was just- I am here to visit Takeru Takaishi," He handed over his student ID card. "I'm his brother."

The attendant clicked a few keys on her computer and checked the clock on the wall.

"Our resident psychologist is currently with him, but you should be able to visit with him shortly. Feel free to wait here in the lounge or on the benches in his hall if you prefer," She gestured towards the double doors on her right.

Yamato didn't move.

"The psychologist?" A wave of anxiety washed over him. "Is Takeru alright?"

The attendant's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh of course, dear! I didn't mean to worry you. Every patient in pediatrics is visited at some point in their stay by our psychologist. She simply makes sure that each patient is dealing with their injury in a mentally healthy manner," The young woman apologized reassuringly.

Yamato deflated.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," He turned and started towards the door. Behind him he distinctly heard someone jokingly hiss,

"Wow, way to scare the kid, Keiko!" Followed by a soft thump of a head hitting wood and a muffled groan.

Yamato had expected "shortly" to mean a half hour or so, but he had only just sat down outside Takeru's room when the door opened and a middle aged woman stepped out. Yamato thought she couldn't be much older than his own father, but her hair was speckled prematurely grey.

"Ah, you must be Yamato!" She strode his way and he hastened to his feet to greet her. She held her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Nijiko Moriya, the psychologist for pediatrics," She had an open face and a kind smile. Yamato could see why she had been chosen for the children's ward.

"Nice to meet you," He forced out. Wasn't shaking hands a rather western practice? Had she studied abroad?

She tucked a pen away in the small bag that hung off her shoulder. She wasn't dressed like the rest of the hospital staff, but an ID badge dangled from a lanyard around her neck.

"Are either of your parents with you? I would like to speak with them if its possible," she asked, gazing down the hall searchingly and smiling widely.

"No, my father had to go in to work for a few hours. He should be here around noon. Mom's flight was delayed. Is everything okay?" Yamato said shortly. He itched to see how Takeru was doing.

"Oh that's alright, I can catch up with them when they arrive. I wanted to warn them of something before they saw him, but maybe it'd be better for Takeru if I didn't," She sounded like she was having a hard time containing some hilarious joke. "Your brother is actually handling his situation very maturely. Here, why don't we have a seat?" She sat on Yamato's vacated bench and patted the spot next to her.

Yamato sat.

"Your brother quite the interesting child. I wish I had the chance to talk with him more, however he does not require my visits to continue. I think we got everything covered this morning."

"Well that's good, right? No offence, but why do you want to talk to me?"

Dr. Moriya nodded.

"Takeru and I need your help with something. He is quite excited about you being involved, and expressly gave me permission to talk to you about this," Her tone turned more serious. "His two most pressing difficulties with this situation are ones that existed before his injury, and are simply being exacerbated at the moment."

Yamato didn't like the sound of that.

"Firstly, as I am sure you are somewhat aware, he has a lingering fear of the dark. Most children outgrow this fear by nine years old, yet here he is, almost thirteen. I got the distinct feeling that it was less a prolonged childhood phobia and more due to some trauma from when he was younger."

Yamato clenched his fists and stared at his knees. That was telling enough for her.

"He was unwilling to expand on the subject, beyond that being in the dark made him feel small, helpless almost. What he needs is to have total control over his current darkness. I will speak to Dr. Nakashima about this, but he needs to be able to remove his eye covers at any time. Even if he is sensitive to light at the moment and his vision is blurred, the ability to get rid of the dark puts control back in his own hands. Of course he should not remove the dressings for extended periods, so his doctor may set a five minute limit. Adding more strain on his eyes will not speed his recovery, but this is important."

Yamato swallowed compulsively.

"What do you need me to do?"

Moriya sighed.

"Your brother did not want me discussing his fears with your parents, and as it is not a situation where he is putting himself in danger, I have no legal requirement to inform them of the reasons behind his choices. He needs you to back him up. Sometimes mothers and fathers have the best intentions but end up making things difficult for their children out of concern. Don't let anyone try to convince him that he should keep the bandages on. It does hurt him to take them off, but if it were not safe for him to do so, the nurses wouldn't be doing it twice a day."

Yamato raised an eyebrow at her, honestly impressed with what she was saying. He had never thought much of psychologists, but this woman certainly knew what she was talking about.

"So what's the other problem?" He inquired.

"Being alone."

The teen grimaced so hard the psychologist paused and peered concernedly at him.

"That's my fault," He put a hand over his face. "I-I didn't mean to leave him, I meant to come right back and then that _stupid freaking eg_ -"

"Yamato," Dr. Moriya stopped him with a firm hand on his knee. "From what I gathered, most of his fear of isolation stemmed from your parent's divorce."

He glanced up at her, unable to dispel the guilty feeling.

"I know that something happened between you two, but from the way he spoke of it, he understands that it was not your fault. He loves you, Yamato. Fiercely. He made that quite clear. Anyway, though it seems like the easy fix for him being alone would simply be to keep him company all the time, he needs more than that. He needs distractions. A sense of normalcy that can keep him from brooding about being in the dark. I am not sure if you are aware that the rules of conduct are a little more lax in a children's ward than in the rest of the hospital, but they are. Short of wheelchair races down the hall, you can get away with a lot more shenanigans. Take advantage of that. Takeru told me he turned down his best friend visiting yesterday because he didn't want to upset her, and seeing him in his current condition certainly would have. So you need to work with your brother and find a way to keep things lighthearted. A way to entertain yourselves, and your friends and family when they visit. I gave him a few pointers, and he took my ideas and ran with them. Takeru is very eager to have fun. So help him be a kid for once, he sounds like he has way more responsibilities than a normal middle schooler."

Yamato let out a snort.

"That's the understatement of the century."

The older woman smiled encouragingly.

"Then go be kids. Happy people heal faster, I promise," She got up to leave and checked her watch. "Yeah I better move it, I have a date with a six year old with a cranky lung. Thank you for talking with me, Yamato. Your brother is lucky to have you."

He stood as she began to leave.

"I'm the lucky one," He muttered to himself.

He watched as she set off down the hall at a brisk pace. A sudden thought surfacing in his mind. _What on earth did she want to warn our parents about?_ He shrugged and gave a soft knock on the hospital door before entering. "Hey, it's Yama...to..." He trailed off at the sight in front of him.

Takeru was barely visible behind a large newspaper. Yamato could only see his fingers peeking around the sides, and the tuft of blond hair over the top. A smothered giggle floated out from behind and Takeru ducked his head down like a toddler laughing while playing hide and seek. Yamato opened his mouth to ask _what the heck,_ when his brother cackled out,

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't _see_ you there!"

Takeru pulled the newspaper down onto the bed and Yamato couldn't help but give a surprised laugh.

Someone had expertly placed cartoonish style googly eye stickers over his mask. Even better, they were facing different directions like some chameleon. Patamon was rolling around in stitches in Takeru's lap wearing a purple birthday hat.

"Do they look good?" Takeru asked excitedly.

Warmth and gratitude towards Dr. Moriya filled Yamato as he looked at his little brother smiling and laughing with his digimon.

"Yeah Teeks, they look great. I didn't know Patamon was such a great artist though, he should go pro," He teased slyly as he sat in his chair next to the bed.

Patamon was nearly in tears.

"I didn't do that! Nijiko did! It was Takeru's idea though! Your face was so funny," Patamon chirped proudly.

"Where on earth did you get this hat, Patamon?" Yamato reached forward and plucked it off his head, fully intending on wrestling it onto his brother.

"Nuh-uh, It doesn't fit me, I already tried," Takeru countered, slapping blindly at Yamato's outstretched hands.

"And what makes you think I was going to put it on you?" Yamato defended quickly, totally caught and trying to cover his tracks.

"Well were _you_ going to wear it?" Takeru challenged, hands on his hips.

"Maybe I _was_ ," Yamato retorted, and attempted to stretch the elastic far enough to get it over his head. He managed, but barely, the elastic dug deep into his skin. "It totally fits and I look more handsome than ever," He stated. "Patamon back me up,"

The orange digimon looked puzzled at his advanced sarcasm.

"It looks like it hurts! Are you all right?"

Takeru cracked up.

"Sorry onii-chan! Patamon's on my team, remember?"

Yamato groaned and took of the hat before the elastic snapped.

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden? This is the hospital, you're supposed to be miserable. They turn up your morphine drip or something?" The teen said arrogantly. He was laying it on thick, and hopefully it was obvious to Takeru that he was joking.

To his surprise his brother flushed and bit his lip to hide an embarrassed smile.

"A little actually."

Yamato couldn't help it. He burst out laughing so hard that he startled Patamon, who tried to fly away in his fright. Being in Takeru's lap was not conducive to a successful takeoff, however, and he ended up buffeting and slapping the poor boy with his ears. Takeru did his best to shield himself with his arms and just ended up with Patamon hanging awkwardly from his shoulder, apologizing profusely.

Takeru tried to ignore the interruption.

"But, _but_ , BUT..." He continued, "Nijiko told me all these fun things we can do! She gave me this bag of weird dress up clothes. And I'm allowed to have candy in my room and she's going to let me have more than two guests at the same time and there's this awesome thing with skittles we gotta do..."

Yamato smiled tenderly as his little brother went on spouting ideas for when their friends visited. Yeah, maybe things were going to be okay after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody! Sorry if this chapter is a little late, I changed the ending over five times before I was happy with it. I still don't love it, but oh well. Welcome to the happier and more fun part of the story! I promise more fluff, less angst. If Hikari seems a little out of character... well, at the end of Adventure 02 she is still the shy, self deprecating little girl we all know and wish had more self confidence. Yet in Tri, she confronts Taichi and Jyou, and openly teases Takeru, even in front of new people. So as this story takes place in between the seasons, I tried to get a bit of both.**

* * *

Now that Takeru actively wanted friends to come visit, things were going to get a lot more lively. Yamato wasn't entirely sure he had the energy for what his brother and Doctor Moriya had planned, but damn it if he was going to ruin Takeru's new good mood. There had been enough crying and worrying in the past thiry-six hours to last him a lifetime.

He sent Taichi a message shortly after agreeing with Takeru that him and Hikari should visit first. Yamato let Taichi know that if at all possible, they needed to keep Hikari from getting really emotional because Takeru was feeling better and his best friend crying would most definitely be a buzzkill. So you know, if he could bring anything fun to keep spirits up, that'd be great.

Taichi immediately replied that he had the perfect thing.

Yamato was almost scared to find out.

* * *

"Takeru!" Hikari hurried past Yamato as he held the door open for the Yagami siblings.

Left behind, Taichi grimaced apologetically at the older blonde.

"She was yelling at me to get my butt out the door the exact second you said she could visit," Taichi grumbled good naturedly. "You'd think she hadn't seen him in a year."

Yamato watched as the girl fussed over his brother, hands fluttering around like she would break him. Takeru seemed to be taking it with a grain of salt.

"You can hug him, you know," Yamato threw her a bone. "He isn't going to keel over from that."

Indecision warred on her face a moment more.

Takeru gave a large, fake put-upon sigh and opened his arms for a hug. She snuggled up to him so gingerly that Yamato frowned.

"Yeesh. Good call on not letting her visit yesterday, huh?" Taichi muttered to him under his breath.

"No kidding," The chosen of friendship agreed. The two of them hung by the door a little longer, trying to give the younger kids some semblance of privacy.

"Has your mom shown up yet?" Taichi asked quietly.

"No, her plane got delayed. She was supposed to be in pretty early this morning, but I don't really know when she will be able to come now. Hopefully tonight," He hesitated a bit and Taichi looked at him curiously. He sighed. "Takeru has been anxious to see her. All morning he kept half asking when she is going to be here and then clamming up like he was embarrassed."

Taichi nodded understandingly.

"Man, if I got hit by a drunk idiot I'd want my mom too."

Yamato wasn't sure if he should respond to that, so he nodded his head towards the chairs and Taichi followed.

Hikari was perched on the edge of the hospital bed, signing Takeru's cast with a vivid pink sharpie. The boy looked resigned to his fate, laying bonelessly against the pillows.

Yamato chuckled at the look on his face.

"Writing a novel there, kid?" Yamato couldn't help but tease.

"I'm just making it prettier," She defended.

Yamato snorted and peeked at his little brother, expecting him to sputter that a guy's cast didn't need to be "pretty". Takeru didn't even twitch. Maybe he fell asleep? Trying not to seem overly concerned, he asked,

"You with us, Teeks?"

His brother shrugged his uninjured shoulder.

"I don't mind her decorating my cast," He replied quietly.

Taichi and Yamato exchanged looks. Man, she had him wrapped around her little finger.

"There! All done. What do you think?" Hikari chirped happily, gently releasing his arm.

Takeru frowned slightly, seeming unsure of whether he should just say it was great... or point out the obvious.

"Um..." The smile he hitched back on his face looked rather brittle.

Hikari was slowly deflating.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Takeru!" She gasped. "That was so stupid of me. I'm really sorry-"

"Its okay, I'm fine," Takeru interrupted her.

"No that wasn't okay. You're all hurt and I go ahead and say something-"

Oh dear. She was starting to cry. And his little brother looked like he was getting upset. Yamato sent Taichi a look, hoping that whatever he had brought was enough to divert the oncoming disaster.

Taichi jumped into action.

"Hey, Takeru! I almost forgot. Hikari has something for you," Taichi rifled through his jacket pocket, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Hikari wiped her eyes and looked to her brother in confusion. She obviously had no idea what he was talking about, but wasn't quite sure if she should call him out on it.

"Here it is!" The bushy haired boy cheered, suddenly brandishing an odd lump of cloth.

Yamato had little time to inspect the bundle, as Hikari's reaction to the item drew everyone's attention.

The girl slapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her shriek of horror. Her face quickly turning a stunning shade of crimson, she slapped Taichi's arm repeatedly.

"Where did you get that?!" She hissed in a mixture of embarrassment and fury.

Taichi snickered and held the creation well out of her frantically reaching arms.

"Oh but Hikari, I though you made the _for Takeru?_ " He retorted innocently, one hand over his heart and the other still waving the unidentified item over his head.

Takeru perked up.

"You made something for me, Hikari?" He grinned curiously in her direction.

"Yes, she did," Taichi answered smugly while his sister attempted to strangle him. Unfortunately for her, Taichi managed to fend her off long enough to lunge forward and plop the blob on Takeru's unsuspecting head.

Hikari blushed even harder and dropped into her chair, face in her hands. Yamato definitely heard her muttering about the impending demise of his best friend.

On the bed, Takeru reached up and felt around on his head in confusion, then broke out into a smile.

"Oh, it's a hat! I love it, Hikari."

The girl groaned.

"That's because you can't see it."

Taichi guffawed, and Yamato, as tired as he was, couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.

"Why are you all laughing? I think its great that Hikari made this all by herself," Takeru defended.

"You would," Yamato couldn't help but mutter.

Both younger siblings flushed, though in Hikari's case it was hard to tell.

"Takeru," Taichi patted the boy's knee patronizingly. "You see, dear Hikari is about as good at knitting as our mom is at cooking."

The room froze. Hikari stared at her brother, beyond offended. Yamato held his breath for the explosion.

Takeru broke the silence before the chosen of light could commit murder.

"Oh. Wow." He murmured in horrified wonder.

"Oh my god I made it when I was _eight, okay?!_ " Hikari screeched. Patamon, who had been asleep at the foot of the bed since before Taichi and Hikari came in, jerked awake and looked around in panic.

Yamato took a good look at the monstrosity sitting innocently on his little brother's head. While yes, the choice of colors was certainly... unique, the knitting itself was not all that bad for a second grader. It was more the lumpy, hardly recognizable Crest of Hope stuck to the front of the hat that was off-putting. If Yamato was correct, Hikari had hot glued the felt onto the yarn. It appeared to have put up a decent job resisting her.

Takeru patted it again with his good hand, looking like he was thinking hard. He came to his conclusion and grinned proudly at his best friend.

"Its fantastic. I bet I look amazing, thank you so much, Hikari."

The girl moaned in defeat and flopped her face into the hospital mattress.

* * *

Around four-thirty things were winding down again and Yamato could tell that Hikari was beginning to feel a little down again, despite Takeru still wearing the "hat". Taichi looked around awkwardly, he only brought one distraction and it had already been used up.

Patamon saved the day by climbing up into Takeru's lap and getting everyone's attention.

"Hey Takeru, I think we should play the Skittles game!" He announced excitedly.

His partner looked down towards the little digimon, though he could not see him.

"I think someone's just hungry," He teased.

Patamon pouted haughtily.

"I have no idea what you mean, Takeru. I just think it would be fun to play with Taichi and Hikari, that's all."

Takeru laughed, deciding to indulge his partner.

"Do you guys want to do it?" He asked his guests.

"Yeah, okay."

"Sure."

"Okay," He started, sitting up more and adjusting Patamon. "So there are two ways to play. You can play for points or play elimination. If we play for points, this is how it works: one at a time each person closes their eyes and the scorekeeper gives them a Skittle. Without looking at it, you have to eat it and guess the flavor. If you get it right, you get a point."

"That sounds way too easy, what's the catch?" Taichi asked skeptically.

Takeru nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, the first round is super easy, but then in round two you get two Skittles at the same time and have to guess both. Every round the number goes up. Whoever has the most points at the end of five rounds wins."

Hikari giggled lightly.

"That actually sounds kind of hard."

"It is! Its fun though," Takeru grinned enthusiastically. "The other way to play is almost the same, but there's no points involved. Once you get a guess wrong you are out, last man standing style."

"Where did this game come from? Did you think of it yourself?" Taichi asked while Yamato fished a large bag of candy out of the drawer in the bedside table.

"If you can believe it, one of his doctors showed him how to play," Yamato chuckled. "Doesn't sound very doctor like, encouraging kids to eat a bunch of sugar."

His little brother huffed at him.

"Yeah well, Doctor Moriya is really cool, and she's more of a social worker than a medical doctor anyway. She told me she shows almost every kid who stays at the hospital how to play," Takeru explained. "It just so happens that me not really being able to see right now makes it impossible to cheat."

Yamato side-eyed his brother. That sounded much too innocent to not be suspicious.

Taichi cracked his knuckles, a familiar competitive glint flashing in his eyes.

"I want to play for points!" Patamon said.

Takeru burst out laughing again and patted his partner's back.

"Sure thing, Patamon. I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fact that you get to eat a lot more Skittles that way," The chosen of hope teased.

Patamon exclaimed indignantly that _no, thank you very much, he just thought it was more fun when everyone got to play the whole time._

"I'll be scorekeeper then," Yamato volunteered, picking up the small notebook they had been using earlier.

"Oh, what? You don't want me kicking your ass, Yamato?" Taichi taunted.

Yamato snorted arrogantly at him.

"I could beat your ass six ways to Sunday if I felt like it, you idiot. Teeks and I played for a while after lunch and I'm all candied out for the day."

Hikari gasped.

"Oh my god, is that even possible?"

Taichi didn't even try to cover up his snickering.

"Well unlike you, dear little sister, some people couldn't eat ice cream three meals a day."

"For a week," Takeru fake whispered to Yamato.

" _For a month!_ " Taichi coughed into his fist.

Hikari pouted and crossed her arms defensively.

"Oh well excuse me, Mr. I can eat a whole large pizza in one sitting."

Taichi threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. Clearly they had had this conversation before.

"I'm a growing guy! So sue me! I need a lot of food."

Yamato moved over to sit on the hospital bed next to his brother while the Yagami bickering intensified. He handed a few Skittles to Takeru and even popped one in his own mouth, despite claiming he didn't want any.

"Do we ever fight like that?" Takeru asked, awestruck.

"Do you want to?"

Hikari and Taichi proceeded to start impersonating each other. Horribly.

Mustering as much false horror as he could, Takeru answered,

"Not if my life depended on it."

* * *

It wasn't much more than an hour later that Takeru fell asleep. They had been listening to Taichi tell a surprisingly amusing story about something that happened at his last football match when Yamato realized his little brother wasn't laughing along with the rest of them.

He sat forward in his chair and patted Takeru's knee. Nothing. He smiled reassuringly at his friend's concerned faces.

"This happened yesterday. I was talking to him and didn't even notice he'd fallen asleep for like, ten minutes. Its hard to tell with the uh..." He gestured awkwardly at his own face. "mask thing. He's been really tired, but keeps trying to stay awake. He doesn't want to miss mom showing up." Yamato said lowly.

Hikari smiled softly at the boy on the hospital bed. Takeru's head was ever so slowly listing to the size as he snoozed away. The quiet moment was interrupted by her stomach growling loudly. Flushing beet red for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she apologized profusely. Taichi laughed and patted her back knowingly.

"That's what happens when you're so excited to see someone that you refuse to sit down for lunch."

Hikari grumbled at him.

The idea of stretching his legs on a little walk suddenly sounded delightful. He would move heaven and earth for Takeru, but being stuck in the same room for the better part of three days was making him itch. He got up stiffly and stretched. Seriously, this hospital needed some nicer chairs. There was only so long one could sit before one's ass fell asleep.

"Here, c'mon Hikari. Lets go get some crappy hospital food."

She tried to protest, but Taichi all but pushed her up out of her seat.

"I'll stay up here in case he wakes up, man," Their former leader said nonchalantly.

As they walked the halls in silence Yamato found himself thinking about Hikari. Taichi and Yamato were best friends, and Hikari and Takeru were best friends. And while Taichi and Takeru got along famously, Yamato still felt almost awkward around Hikari. At least when there was no one else to break the silence.

The two of them were way too alike, he found himself thinking. They spent much too much time inside their own heads, overthinking and overanalyzing and rarely actually talking. They had known each other almost as long as he and Taichi had, but most of what he knew about her had come from someone else's mouth.

Hikari picked out some fruit from the cafeteria and they sat down at the same table where he had nearly spit out his coffee the previous morning. Drumming his fingers on the table he chastised himself. He had the crest of friendship for heaven's sake! Why was it so hard for him to talk to people?

"So um, I wanted to thank you for waiting a few days to see Takeru. I know you must have been worried. He was pretty out of it and slept a lot of the time. He's obviously still tired."

The younger girl nodded, looking sadly at her apple.

"I just can't believe this happened," She paused, taking a small bite. "I really wanted to make sure he was okay, but I get why you guys didn't want visitors."

Yamato cringed inwardly. Okay, find something happier to talk about before he made this kid cry. He almost groaned when he remembered that it wouldn't be the first time. Jeeze. How would Taichi cheer her up? He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"You know, Takeru seemed really happy to see you."

Hikari perked up a little bit.

"I hadn't seen him laugh the way he did today since he got here," He added.

"Really? You think he had fun?" The girl asked shyly.

Yamato smirked at her.

"Oh yeah. Totally. He'll probably wear that hat forever, seeing as his white one doesn't fit anymore."

Hikari pursed her lips and squinted at him, unsure if he was making fun of her or not.

"I'm serious. He doesn't know how to _not_ wear a hat," Yamato chuckled, realizing how true it was.

Hikari giggled along with him.

"Do you honestly think he would wear something so ridiculous in public?" She asked skeptically.

"If his best friend made it for him? Oh man, he would wear the shit out of that thing. He has no qualms about ruining his image with a terrible fashion sense. Sometimes I'm embarrassed for him. Mimi and I have both tried to talk to him about wearing cooler clothes but he claims they aren't 'comfortable'," Yamato scoffed.

Hikari surprised him with a loud snort, and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. Smiling apologetically, she said,

"Oh, I wasn't aware you had to suffer to look good."

"It's a requirement," Yamato stated sagely.

They sat in silence for a minute, but it was much more comfortable than before.

"Do you think there is a hat out there that Takeru wouldn't wear?" Hikari asked. She sounded incredibly innocent, but Yamato saw a spark of mischief in her eye.

A smirk slowly crept over his face.

"Did you have something in mind?"

* * *

Yamato was so preoccupied with acting as natural as possible when he returned to the hospital room that he didn't notice the stressed look on Taichi's face, or the way Takeru's eye mask was now lopsided. He was going over the plan in his head when he waved goodbye to Taichi and Hikari, the latter giving him a bigger smile than normal. Yamato was reveling in the feeling of being happy when his father showed up right on time and brought dinner from some fast food restaurant they hadn't been to since he was seven. And he was in even higher spirits when everyone agreed to playing cards after dinner, though Patamon had no idea how to play anything, really, so how was he helping Takeru? His mood stayed upbeat right up until the moment the door burst open and a frazzled Natsuko Takaishi appeared.

* * *

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to find out what happened with Taichi and Takeru while Yamato was away, read chapter 2 of Strobe. It should be up shortly later today.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE #2: If you care about continuity, Natsuko, and want to hear the message Taichi left on her phone, read chapters 3 and 4 of Strobe before reading chapter 7 of Skittles. They will be posted in the next few days. They are mostly necessary for understanding how she will be acting in the future.**

 **There may be a significant delay in chapter 7 being uploaded. I've been travelling, have been sick, and have had computer issues lately and have had next to no time to write. In the meantime, please enjoy three chapters of Strobe, which I swear have been sitting on my computer since AUGUST.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Damn. This one took forever and I apologize. But I worked hard on it and struggled, and refused to let it be complete and lackluster. Also I put a bunch of characters in one room with a plan, and of course they ran around and started doing things I did not want them to do. It was like herding cats, I swear.**

 **Writing Mimi was so much fun. I never anticipated to enjoy her so much. I wish she could be in the chapter more, but I had to keep some semblance of sanity.**

 **Last chance to go read the Natsuko centered chapters of Strobe. If you really don't want to, here's a super brief summary: Natsuko went through a lot to try to get to her baby and was super stressed. Takeru was finally relaxing and having fun, and she showed up and started a fight with Hiroaki. Yamato got mad at her, Takeru got mad at her, they both kind of snapped at her. She felt bad, Takeru felt bad, they hugged and cried and both apologized. Yamato did not. Because he's the pissy grudge holder we all know and love anyway.**

* * *

"Jeeze, Koushiro. Some warning would have been nice!" Yamato called down the hall. The redhead was puffing along like he had run a marathon, hands on his hips.

"It's not like I could have stopped her, you know. I did my best just to keep up. Mimi's a force of nature," Koushiro wheezed.

Yamato turned and watched the tornado of pink swirl around the small hospital room. Mimi had nearly flattened him when he went to open the door, perplexed by the barrage of knocking. She had burst into the room with enough balloons to float a small digimon.

"Look at her go..." Koushiro murmured in awe, leaning weakly against the doorframe.

Patamon added to the chaos, flapping around the balloons and chirping jubilantly,

"Mimi, Mimi, Mimi! Oh, we haven't seen you in forever, how's America?"

Natsuko, who up till now had been reading quietly to her son, was completely taken aback. She leaned as far back as she could in her chair, trying her best just to be out of the way. Poor Takeru was having a difficult time tracking what exactly was happening with all the noise.

Mimi, apparently pleased with the decorating she had done, bustled over to the boy and swooped down upon him. She grabbed him in a smothering hug and slapped a huge kiss on his unbruised cheek. Takeru blushed a truly magnificent red and she pressed a balloon string into his good hand, closing his fingers around it. A goofy, dazed smile bloomed on the young blond's face and he tugged experimentally on the string.

"What color is it?" He giggled, looking up.

"Yellow of course, you silly goose," Mimi booped his nose playfully.

The smile he sent her was so genuine and full of glee that Yamato had to squash down a surge of jealousy. He couldn't remember the last time he made Takeru smile like that. But he supposed he wasn't a cute girl, either.

Mimi sat herself down at Takeru's side and began chatting away endlessly. He stared bemusedly in her direction, only appearing to be half listening. His face was still a little pink, and when he turned his head towards the door Yamato caught sight of a vibrant red lipstick mark on his cheek... and good lord were those sparkles in his hair? What, did she just leave trails of glitter everywhere she went?

"Hi Koushiro," Takeru called over, giving the boy a small wave.

"Hello Takeru. I am glad to see that you are feeling better."

With all the noise in the room, Yamato was not sure how his brother had heard Koushiro arrive.

The two of them pulled some more chairs up to the bedside and listened to Mimi talk about everything under the sun. There were bags under her eyes, Yamato realized. Of course there were, it was like three in the morning in America. But Koushiro claimed that when he told Mimi he was coming to visit Takeru, she insisted on gating over immediately and coming too. Apparently it was currently April vacation at her school and she didn't have to get up early tomorrow. That didn't make any sense to Yamato, seeing as the school year had just started here in Japan.

Enthralled in a story Mimi was telling about some handsome American movie star she swore she had seen, Yamato almost didn't notice his mother standing to leave. He looked to her curiously, but she gave him a dismissive smile and gestured towards the door.

"Oh no, Mrs. Takaishi, I didn't mean to come in and take over. You don't have to go! I was just so excited to see Takeru," Mimi exclaimed.

Takeru's head whipped around and Yamato caught the wince he tried to hide.

"Mom, you're leaving?" He sounded so dismayed that Natsuko frowned and came back over to the bed.

"Just for a few minutes, sweetheart. You have a bunch of friends here and I just want to stretch my legs for a bit. I was on a plane for a long time," She smoothed back Takeru's bangs and dropped a soft kiss of the top of his head.

"Oh, okay," his brother looked so relieved that Yamato's chest cramped for a moment. Takeru reached out and took Natsuko's hand before she could pull away.

"Hmm? What is it sweetie?"

Takeru ducked his head, looking suddenly shy, before quickly pecking his mother on the cheek. Natsuko appeared startled, but pleasantly surprised. She gave her son's hand a squeeze and told him warmly,

"I'll be back in ten minutes, okay?"

Yamato tried with all his willpower not to feel excluded. He would not let himself think about when she had last hugged or kissed him. That was fine. He was still mad at her for how she had acted yesterday. He wasn't envious in the least. He was so engaged with his internal struggle that a hand on his shoulder made him jump.

He looked up just in time for his mother to plant a tiny kiss on his forehead on her way out of the room. Yamato froze at the light contact. Completely stunned, he stared silently at the ceiling tiles for a long time. A warmth he had not felt in much too long settled comfortably in his chest. Tears did not prickle at his eyes, but his throat felt tight. Vaguely aware that the conversation in the room was continuing, Yamato lowered his gaze and instead stared at his hands clasped in his lap.

 _Well then._

* * *

Yamato watched as Mimi chewed slowly, eyes closed and arms crossed.

"Hmmm, let's see… Grape, strawberry… and lime!" Her eyes shot open and gazed expectantly at him.

No longer surprised by Mimi's odd talents, Yamato simply nodded and checked off three more points for the girl.

"Yes!" Mimi cried, pumping her arms energetically.

"Wow, Mimi! You're amazing!" Patamon gushed from his partner's lap. Takeru laughed along with them. Yamato was incredibly relieved to see that his brother had a lot more energy today. He had only taken a brief nap in the morning and was currently going strong.

"You bet I am, Patamon! I am going to be a famous chef someday, and this is great practice for taste testing."

"Huh," Takeru said, an incredibly innocent expression coming over his face. "Do you think that all good cooks would be good at this game?"

Koushiro looked thoughtful.

"Well, it would make sense for people with a talent for cooking to find a flavor related game easier than others. Why do you ask?"

Yamato's eye twitched as he attempted to ignore the tiny smile quirking the corner of his brother's mouth upwards.

"Let's just say there's a reason onii-chan is playing scorekeeper," Takeru said with a smirk.

"Ohhhh, BURN!" Mimi crowed.

"Skittles are hardly even food!" Yamato slammed down the score pad, which bounced lamely off his lap and plopped on the floor. "They're just colored sugar drops! Most of them taste the same anyway."

"You're terrible at it, aren't you?" Mimi's smile resembled the Cheshire Cat's.

"He still can't get past two skittles," Takeru supplied happily from the bed.

Yamato threw his hands in the air.

"Oh my god."

Takeru must be feeling _much_ better if he had the energy to be little shit. Well if that's how he wanted it to be…

"Mimi did you bring anything for Takeru?" Yamato asked pointedly, abruptly changing the subject before this conversation could go any further.

The girl paused in her cackling to look incredulously at him. Spreading her arms wide and gesturing around, she gasped,

"Excuse me, where do you think all these fabulous decorations came from?"

Yamato pursed his lips in exasperation and pointed to the top of his head.

"No, I mean, _did you bring anything for Takeru_?"

"What are you talking about?" Takeru's comment went ignored.

"Ohhh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "Yeah, Koushiro brought them," She smiled and turned to the redhead in the room.

"Brought what?" Takeru piped up again.

Koushiro appeared confused for a moment before ducking down and pulling a bag out from under his chair.

"They're right in here," He passed the black… square bag over to Mimi.

Mimi took it, a look of disbelief slowly creeping over her. She reached inside and pulled a sleek, shiny laptop part of the way out of the bag.

"This is your computer bag… Koushiro, where is the bag I asked you to bring?"

The redhead chuckled awkwardly and reached out to take the laptop back.

"Huh, I'm so used to taking it wherever I go that I must have grabbed it out of habit . Sorry Mimi…" He sent her a sheepish smile at her glare.

"What is going on?" Takeru grouched from the bed.

"Ugh, Koushiro, I ask you to do one thing… Oh well, I'll just have to have it delivered here," She whipped out her phone and began typing away at the speed of light.

Yamato and Koushiro looked to each other in confusion. What on earth did she mean by that?

The musician sighed and lightly banged his head against the wall. He should have known asking something of Mimi would turn into a huge production like this.

"Why the heck is no one talking to me?!" Takeru huffed.

* * *

Twenty minutes later the door banged open to reveal a harassed looking and sweaty Jyou holding a lumpy shopping bag. As he slumped against the doorframe, Yamato stared back and forth between him and Mimi. His initial disbelief at Mimi's audacity dwindled as he realized that this was honestly what he should have been expecting.

"Mimi…" Wheeze. "I got your bag from Koushiro's house," Gasp. "I hope I made it here in time…" Cough. "What's the emergency?"

Mimi popped out of her chair and bounced over to him, snatching the bag from his hands with a thousand-watt grin.

"Man, you got here fast! Good old reliable Jyou! Koushiro totally forgot our presents for Takeru, and it would be a mega bummer if we had to leave and go back for them!" She chirped, flouncing back towards the hospital bed.

Yamato cringed in anticipation, and was not disappointed. Likewise, Koushiro subtly pulled out his laptop and slunk down below the screen.

"Mimi are you kidding me?" Jyou burst out. "I was studying! I have a ton of exams this week and you pull me away from that to be your errand boy? What were you even thinking?"

Mimi just frowned at him.

"Jyou, our friend is in the hospital and you're acting like some test is more important than that! I just wanted to cheer Takeru up, okay?"

The older boy stared wide-eyed at her, his mouth moving soundlessly for a minute before he uttered out,

"Its not like that… I just was really busy-"

Yamato took one look at the uncomfortable squirming his little brother was doing and decided he had had enough. Standing up, he strode over to the bedside and turned a pointed glare at his bickering friends.

"If you guys are going to fight, take it outside. And leave Takeru out of this."

Mimi scrunched up her face like she was going to say something more, but before she could, Koushiro appeared at her elbow and dragged her out of the room.

"Come on Mimi, help me find a better internet connection!"

The door shut loudly, leaving the hospital room in silence.

Jyou shifted awkwardly, then lifted his head with an apologetic frown.

"I'm sorry if it sounded like I was trivializing your situation, Takeru. I was rude. I didn't even say hello to you when I came in. How are you feeling?"

Takeru made a face, shrugging a little.

"It's okay, Jyou. I know Mimi can be kinda thoughtless sometimes, but she means well. I'm sorry she interrupted your studying. You can go back if you want."

Takeru was way too forgiving, Yamato thought. He wasn't sure he would be able to rationalize his friends' fighting about him while he was hurt… but then again when he was sick he turned into a total bear. And his little brother had always been this way. He never participated in any of the fights back when they first entered the Digital World, except to try to break them up occasionally. And Takeru never got angry or held a grudge against anyone the way he did. His little brother took all their friends' clashing personalities in stride, accepting everyone for who they were without question. Yamato had never questioned why Takeru had been given the Crest of Hope, but sometimes he wondered why he hadn't been given the Crest of Friendship too.

"-if that's okay, Yamato?"

Yamato started. He hadn't even noticed that he hadn't been listening. Jyou was sitting on Takeru's hospital bed and the two of them were looking at him expectantly. Or at least Takeru was facing his general direction.

"Huh?" He felt a bit disoriented. After the emotional roller coaster the past few days had been, he was worn out in more ways than one. But Takeru was still in the hospital and he refused to leave him for any more time than was absolutely required.

"Onii-chan, are you okay?" Takeru asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Great. That was the last thing he needed to be doing. Making Takeru worry about him while _he_ was the one with a serious concussion and currently nearly blind.

"You can go home early tonight if you want, onii-chan," His brother continued before he could object. "Mom is here and Jyou offered to stay for a little while, and Mimi and Koushiro will probably be back soon too. Its okay if you need to go home and sleep. Dad said you still aren't sleeping much."

That threw him for a loop.

"When was Dad here?" He managed to ask.

Takeru frowned at him. Even Patamon was looking at him uneasily.

"He was here for a few hours this morning so that Mom could sleep in a little. Dad was going to bring you, but he said you were finally asleep. You took the train here this morning, remember?" He was starting to sound nervous.

Yamato couldn't really blame him. The past three or four days had all blurred together. What day was it now? It was… Well yesterday was, was that Sunday? Was today actually Monday? Had Dad called him out of school today? Jesus, he must have. No wonder Koushiro had offered to visit so late in the afternoon. He had been trying so hard to keep a smile on his face for Takeru that he hadn't noticed that he was still exhausted. He scrubbed his hands over his face tiredly.

Suddenly Jyou was in front of him, a hand on his elbow, and he was being steered towards the bed.

"Here, Yamato. Why don't you lay down? That way you can rest, but you don't have to leave?" Jyou suggested. Yamato couldn't find a flaw in that logic.

Weren't hospital beds supposed to be uncomfortable, he thought as he settled down. This one felt like heaven compared to the stupid chairs. He didn't want to sleep; he didn't like falling asleep in front of people. In the Digital World he was always the last one awake at night, always offered to take the first guard. Letting himself fall asleep in front of anyone but Takeru made him feel watched, vulnerable.

Yet against his will he felt his eyelids drooping lower as he listened to Jyou and Takeru talk quietly. Jyou was mostly asking medical questions related to Takeru's injury. At first, Yamato felt a flare of irritation, but it faded as he noted how at ease Takeru sounded. He seemed much more relaxed than when the doctor asked him questions. That made sense, he supposed…After all, Jyou was the one to patch everyone up when they were on their first adventure. Takeru, being nearly eight at the time, had more than his fair share of skinned knees and elbows…

Yamato's world faded to a soft black.

* * *

There was something sticking uncomfortably into his back. Only half awake, he tried to roll away from it, but ended up with his face smushed into something else. Why was his bed so narrow? Oh the thing his face was on was moving. Oh wait, that was a person.

"Thanks for visiting, Mimi," Patamon's voice called softly. "Thanks for all the balloons! Have fun in America."

"Yeah, thank you Mimi, Koushiro. Have a good night," He felt Takeru's quiet voice reverberating through him.

He was warm, and now that what he assumed to be a bedrail, was not pressing into his spine anymore, he was very comfortable and still so tired…

* * *

Yamato wanted to move. He wanted to move and there was something not quite heavy on his knees. He was reminded of the time the Yagami's cat decided to sleep on him while they watched a movie. He had been getting a cramp, but was reluctant to dislodge the creature from its spot. She had just looked so happy there.

There was no cat here. What the hell was touching him then? He groaned and shifted slightly, hoping it would go away. It didn't. The young man was starting to get pin and needles and it was so annoying. He grumbled again and heard a small chuckle in reply.

Something large beside him shifted and the whole bed seemed to sway for a moment. A small hand patted lightly near his knees searchingly, and then the weight was gone. A second later the big thing was back again, pressing gently into his shoulder and shaking with laughter.

A small, whiny voice murmured something, and he tried his best to ignore it. Yamato, free of what he belatedly realized was Patamon, rolled onto his back and faded away again.

* * *

"…just the hospital bed, or has he always slept so restlessly?"

A familiar, warm voice answered humorously.

"Oh no, he's been like that since he was a baby. He was terrible at night, only wanted to be held. The second you thought he was asleep and put him in his crib, he was up and crying again. Woke up at every little noise. Drove his father and I mad for years. But Takeru on the other hand? Sleeps like a rock. He used to fall asleep in the strangest places and you could just pick him up like a sack of potatoes and toss him into bed. Once he was out, he was out."

Someone laughed lightly, and Takeru huffed, jostling Yamato's head.

"Well that sounds fair, one kid who sleeps and one who doesn't?"

Oh my god. That was Jyou. Jyou was still here. What time was it?

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Takeru was hilarious though. At his second birthday party, he fell asleep halfway through eating his birthday cake. Just faceplanted right there at the table with all the other kids running around."

His mom was laughing, he realized sleepily. It had been such a long time since he had heard her laugh. It was a nice sound…

* * *

Takeru shifted next to him and Yamato's eyes fluttered open. His whole body felt like lead, but he felt there was no reason to move. His arm dangled limply over the side of the bed, and that was fine. He slowly came to notice that there were people talking in the room once again. But this time it was not a casual conversation He forced his eyes open slightly, hoping that would keep him awake long enough to hear something important.

"-does look like the swelling is going down. If there are no complications overnight, we'll most likely let you take off the mask after breakfast tomorrow. How are you feeling overall, Takeru?"

"Just sore. I have a little bit of a headache, but its maybe a three?"

"That's great to hear, especially since you've been off the high-level pain killers today. I'll get it approved with Dr. Nakashima, but I think you will be alright with just over the counter medication now. How's your wrist?"

"Itchy."

The nurse, Hana (Yamato recognized her voice by now), laughed knowingly.

"Well, despite your itchiness, you're making a great recovery. If you keep making this kind of progress, we'll be looking at discharging you sometime on Wednesday."

His mother's voice was full of excitement.

"Oh, honey that's wonderful!" She turned professional again as she addressed Takeru's nurse. "Can we start talking about what we'll need to do once he comes home? When he can return to school and-"

Yamato tuned her out. He took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes. Muscles he didn't know he had been clenching finally relaxed. A small hand rested on his back.

"I'm okay, onii-chan."

* * *

 **Yay! Yamato finally took that nap he needed! Takeru is healing up pretty quickly! Natsuko still loves both her babies! Hiroaki had some quality time with Takeru! All good things.**

 **For those of you who maybe are watching Tri and are grouchy about the lack of 02 kids, the next chapter is for you. They will all be there. At the same time. That poor little hospital room will never be the same. We never did find out what was in Mimi's bag, did we?**

 **There are two more chapters of Skittles, and at least three more of Strobe to come out. The Strobe chapters will include: a Hiroaki POV chapter, a Ken/Daisuke/Takeru chat, and a hilarious epilogue.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love to hear what you guys have to say.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'M ALIVE! Yes. It is true! I have had a lot going on lately, but have no intention of abandoning any of my stories. It did not help that this was the least planned out of the chapters. My notebook pretty much said, "Chapter 8: 02 kids visit, silliness, skittles game, hats". The rest of the page was filled with funny lines and excerpts, and I can unfortunately say none of them actually made it into the chapter. Oops. I did try, but they all felt dumb and forced.**

 **Special thanks to dnofsunshine, LILFOC, and ittybittymattycommittee for reviewing to every chapter of this story. You all earned a virtual silly hat.**

* * *

Yamato groaned and held his backpack tighter to his chest. The hoards of kids trying to get home from school on the train were packed in around him like sardines. He had been incredibly lucky to snag a seat, but was starting to regret it, as each stop sent more strangers' knees crashing into his. Tucking his feet back under the seat as far as possible to avoid being stepped on as well, he dropped his forehead to his bag.

Part of him had been outraged that morning when his father had announced that he should go back to school, but a small part of him had been relived. Takeru was recovering quickly now, and didn't need his onii-chan hovering anxiously over his shoulder for hours on end. If he did, or had asked Yamato to stay, he would have done so in a heartbeat. But in the end, Takeru hadn't asked, and to be honest the musician found hospitals uncomfortable places in more ways than one. The tired young man had slept fitfully on Takeru's hospital bed yesterday until his mother gently shook him awake and told him that visiting hours were ending. That she would drive him home.

Yamato expected to be unable to sleep when he returned to his own bed, having slept most of the evening away. Yet the moment his head hit the pillow he was out again. He hadn't woken up once during the night, which was a first in many months. While he felt immensely more rested, a groggy haze had settled around his head for most of the morning, rending him useless in class. Luckily the teachers must have taken his grogginess as him being distracted and concerned for his brother (which he _was,_ but really mostly groggy), and they had for the most part left him alone. Yamato raised his head a bit and flicked a little fluff off his bag, huffing slightly. He tried his best not to think that even after all that sleep, the thought of his bed was still very alluring. Takeru was more important than sleep though. Hence why he had hardly slept the first two or three nights after the accident. That first night had been the worst. Hours upon hours had been spent pacing around Taichi's bedroom, alternating with throwing himself agitatedly on the bed next to his friend and staring blankly at the bunk above him.

Sighing quietly, Yamato leaned back and rested his head against the window of the train. Yesterday had not gone at all like he had planned. He was supposed to be helping Takeru stay in a good mood, helping him forget that they still didn't know if there was going to be permanent damage to his eyesight. Mimi visiting was supposed to be a fun, light-hearted afternoon. She and Koushiro were supposed to come over, bring some hats, and well… The plan had quickly derailed. He had not counted on Jyou appearing, or anyone fighting, or nearly collapsing from all the stress and lack of sleep. He had not mentally prepared for the awkward car ride home with his mother. Yamato had hoped that the maternal kiss he received would have cleared the air between the two of them, however the twenty-minute drive had been filled with tentative silence. At some point, he had closed his eyes, only half feigning sleep just to avoid… whatever was going on. Somehow, he both wanted to talk with his mother and didn't at the same time. He wanted to talk, but not if it was going to be painfully awkward. Neither him, nor Natsuko initiated conversation until they pulled up in front of his building.

She had reached over and squeezed his hand for a moment, smiling at him in an understanding manner and wishing him goodnight. Yamato's smooth reply had been, "Uh, yeah. You too."

His mother had driven away then, leaving the sixteen-year-old wondering if the ride had only felt awkward to one of them.

A sudden pain in his knees alerted him to the fact that the train had come to a stop and passengers were attempting to move around him. Craning his neck to see where they were, he surged to his feet at the realization that this was the stop closest to the hospital. He apologized continuously as he pushed his way between the crowds. Disheveled and a bit embarrassed, he exited the train with a gasp.

A small group of tourists peered curiously at him and he felt his face redden further. So much for maintaining his calm, cool image. Though, he thought with a slump in his shoulders, he had not been calm or composed since Friday morning. Maybe if people saw him heading into the hospital they would forgive his appearance. Yamato was beyond thankful that though his band was doing quite well currently, he was not yet recognizable to the general public. He wouldn't yet have to worry about the paparazzi.

He followed the now familiar pathway up to the children's ward, and soon found himself turning down Takeru's hallway.

A sudden hand on his shoulder startled him thoroughly, sending him spinning around with a gasp.

"Doctor Moriya!"

The older woman smiled at Yamato, looking a little sheepish. She took her hand off his shoulder and tucked it in her pocket.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, I thought you had heard me. I did call your name first."

Yamato did his best to look apologetic instead of flustered.

"I must have been daydreaming, sorry. Did you need something?"

If Yamato wasn't mistaken, the doctor was grinning at him in a rather proud manner. Little crow's feet were starting to show in the corners of her eyes.

"I wanted to say congratulations. I had a follow up with your brother this morning and it's obvious how much happier he is now. I know it's only been a few days, but you have done a wonderful job of lifting his spirits."

The chosen of friendship blushed at the praise. Before he could stammer out a response the woman clapped him on the shoulder once more and cut him off.

"Do me one little favor though? It took a lot of convincing to get Doctor Nakashima to let so many visitors in your brother's room, could you tell them to keep it down before I get in trouble?"

She squeezed his shoulder briefly and sent him a quick wink before heading the opposite way down the hall. Yamato watched her for a few moments, a bit confused. Exactly how many visitors was "so many"? There was only one way to find out.

He could hear them before he got there, and it wasn't hard to tell who was inside. Yamato supposed it made sense. The elementary school did get out earlier than the high school. The musician could distinctly hear the dulcet tones of Miyako and Daisuke arguing, though there was laughter interspersed with the loud words. Opening the door and bracing himself for the onslaught of noise, the young man was surprised at how many people were packed into the small room.

Iori and Ken were at the foot of the bed, mostly grimacing at the noise. Ken appeared nervous that they would be kicked out soon for disturbing the other patients, but Iori seemed more irritated at whatever it was the others were yelling about. Miyako and Daisuke stood on the right side of the bed, but were facing each other and taking up a large amount of space gesticulating wildly. This would be fine if it were not for the fact that Miyako was holding an open bag of Skittles and they were being scattered around the room. Patamon dove for each one, knocking into the balloons and people as he went. Hikari had her arms raised over her head in defense, seeing as many of the candies were flying in her direction. She was laughing and swatting at Patamon as he climbed all over her in search of the treats. But the loudest laughter was coming from his brother.

Yamato was nearly struck dumb by how different Takeru looked. Sure, the bruising had faded to that strange yellow-green, but otherwise he looked so much healthier that even just last night. His face was nearly pain-free as he cackled, eyes scrunched closed and small snorts escaping him. Yamato couldn't help but start to smile as well as he noticed that Takeru was sitting cross-legged on top of the sheets, not only wearing a new hospital shirt, but a pair of white pajama pants. (Something his brother had admitted to missing these past few days.)

The biggest and most obvious change was that the mask was gone, though Yamato spied it folded on the bedside table. The small bandage that had covered his stitches was also missing, and what was underneath was not nearly as bad as what Yamato's imagination had cooked up. And if the chosen of friendship wasn't mistaken, someone had washed Takeru's hair as well. It had become a bit of a mess during his stay, with all the sleeping, mask straps, and bandages pushing it here there and everywhere. It looked much nicer now. In fact, it looked like that one time their mother had gotten sick of it sticking up everywhere and she had tried to blow-dry it. Fluffier.

All in all, Takeru looked like a kid ready to go home.

Yamato's moment of awe was shattered when Daisuke waved a hand in his direction.

"Hey Yamato!" He cried jubilantly.

Takeru's eyes snapped open and he turned in his brother's direction as the others offered their greetings.

"Onii-chan! How was school?" A thousand-watt grin lit up his face at the sight of his brother.

The older boy could not help but chuckle as he dropped his bag into the only remaining guest chair and leaned a hip against the hospital bed. Patamon curled up by Takeru's hip, content to be full of candy and ready for a nap.

"Oh, you know," He said casually, crossing his arms. "Boring, but Taichi and Sora said to say hi though. How was your day?"

The chosen of friendship had never been able to claim that the second generation of chosen kids was the most tactful group of people, but as he chatted with Takeru, he noticed Hikari and Ken edging closer to the others. They seemed to be steering the conversation away from the brothers. Yamato appreciated the semblance of privacy.

"I got to walk around in the hallway today and Hana took me down to the playroom for a little while. It was so cool to see other kids, and they had books in there with huge print so I can read without getting a headache. Because _apparently_ I can't read normal books or watch TV or use a computer for a while after I get out."

Takeru ended his statement with a pout, but Yamato could tell his brother was mostly upset about the lack of reading in the immediate future.

Yamato kept him talking for a little longer, partially because he was genuinely interested in what his little brother had to say, and partially because of what was going on behind him. Out of the corner of his eye the musician could see that Hikari had pulled Mimi's unopened bag from yesterday out from under the bed. It took everything he had to keep a straight face as he secretly watched them sort through the horrors inside. Mimi had obviously taken Hikari and Yamato's message very seriously.

Out of the bag came hat after hat. Hats that Yamato would never be caught dead wearing, and certainly never in public. Hikari pulled one out at a time and wordlessly offered it to each of her friends. Ken and Miyako looked amused but hesitant, and Iori appeared to be flat out rejecting every hat the was passed in his direction with a flat stare and shake of his head. Unadulterated delight danced on Daisuke's face and he instantly snatched a large hat out of Hikari's hands, jamming it on his head and looking very proud of himself.

Yamato nearly lost it then and there when he took a second-long peek and realized it was one of those American trucker hats that held two cans of beer and had straws dangling down by your cheeks. He switched his attention back to Takeru to avoid blowing their cover.

"-doesn't really hurt anymore, unless I look directly at a light. And stuff is still a little blurry, but I really only get a headache if I try to cross my eyes-" His little brother was explaining, oblivious to the actions only feet behind him.

After a few deep breaths, Yamato chanced a glance at the others. It proved almost fatal. Ken was looking incredibly awkward and was flushed completely red. Upon his head was a hat shaped and colored like a small shark, only its mouth was huge, and gave the impression that it was attempting to eat the head of its wearer. Next to him stood Miyako, wearing a hideous purple fedora that clashed horrifically with her hair. Hikari herself was pulling on a fuzzy Hello Kitty hat. The next moment Daisuke was practically shoving his fist in his mouth to avoid making gleeful noises at the hat that Hikari pulled out and handed Iori. Yamato himself managed to cover up his snort of amusement as a cough. Iori grimaced, but shrugged and took one for the team and put it on his head.

A rainbow striped propeller beanie.

Ken, of all people, reached his hand over ever so slowly and gave the propeller a flick.

Yamato wasn't the only one who couldn't cover up their laugh.

Takeru smiled in confusion at his older brother and started to look around.

"What's so funny, onii-chan?"

Daisuke moved first, plunging his hand into the bag and yanking out a hat. He lurched forward and hurriedly plopped it on Takeru's head with a little more force than Yamato would have preferred.

"Ouch, Daisuke what-" He straightened up and caught sight of his friends, who were all gazing back at him with varying shades of disappointment on their faces.

Miyako peered skeptically into the now empty bag.

"Huh. After what we ended up with, I was expecting something a little more exciting," She shrugged.

Takeru stared at his friends for a few moments before slowly turning back to Yamato, confusion bordering on fear in his eyes. On his head was a flat-topped straw hat, which would have been perfectly normal if not for the pair of fake birds snuggled together on the brim.

"Onii-chan, am I still really concussed, or is that a shark?"

* * *

After the initial reaction to the myriad of glorious hats Mimi had provided, Yamato discovered that the younger kids had not even begun to play the Skittles game. Apparently Takeru had been halfway through explaining the rules when a certain someone had started sneaking them when the others weren't looking and it had devolved from there.

It happened again when the game was just about to start. Daisuke was just about to pop the first of the candies in his mouth when Miyako got an evil glint in her eye.

"I bet Yamato would look so good in a hat…"

The next thing Yamato knew, Daisuke and Miyako were lunging at him. His heart lurched, not because his perfect hair would be marred by a tasteless hat, but at the looks of determination on their faces. He ducked and stumbled over the chair behind him while Iori muttered about the maturity level of this team. Takeru was the exact opposite of helpful as he bounced around on his knees, calling out pointers to his friends from the bed. Ken hovered nervously beside him, half laughing, and half worried that Takeru was going to hurt himself further.

Yamato swore he saw the flash of a camera at least once.

"He's really ticklish!" His brother yelled, laughing almost too hard to be understood.

"Excuse me," A sudden stern voice sounded from the doorway. Nurse Hana stood with her arms folded and fixed each of them with a reprimanding stare. "Last time I checked, this was a hospital. If you are going to wrestle, take it outside."

A chorus of apologies followed as the children slunk into the guest chairs. Iori shook his head disapprovingly and sighed. The nurse threw him an odd look before turning to leave.

"Glad you're feeling better, Takeru," She said before closing the door.

Takeru looked around at the friends surrounding him.

"Me too."

* * *

 **Fun fact: I listen to the same song over and over again while writing to make sure all the chapters have the same sort of vibe. It helps me remember details from my previous chapters and feelings the characters had. The song for this whole story is Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons. And so far I have listened to it over 390 times. 47 of those were in the past 48 hours. I wear headphones so my finance doesn't die from irritation.**


	9. Chapter 9

**OH MAN THIS IS IT. THE END.**

* * *

"Sorry guys, hang on a minute!" Yamato called out, interrupting his bandmates to check his buzzing phone. Takeru had insisted that he practice with his band after school today, despite the fact that he would probably be getting discharged very shortly. Yamato had grumbled, but his little brother claimed that he always seemed happier after practicing and how could Yamato say no to that?

The young man felt his chest tighten in anticipation. He had a new text from his mom. It either said that everything was great, and Takeru was coming home, or that something had happened and they were keeping him another day or two. Both options made his heart pound. Yamato sucked in a deep breath and opened the message. Akio, his drummer, peered over his shoulder and let out a jubilant cheer, slapping him on the back. The rest of the band joined him in a rowdy, sloppy group hug.

"Congratulations, man!"

Yamato was unfazed by the jostling and back-slapping. He had a message to send.

* * *

Takeru could not explain the happiness, the comfort, the absolute joy at being allowed to wear his own clothes again. His mom had been thoughtful enough to bring some of his favorite shirts and had let him pick out what he wanted to wear. She hadn't brought any hats though… He sighed and gazed downwards.

Natsuko smiled curiously at her son, sitting on the edge of the neatly made hospital bed.

"What's that look for, honey?"

Takeru slowly looked up at his mother. His eyebrows scrunched in puzzlement.

"I haven't worn shoes in almost five days. My feet feel weird."

His mother let out a short burst of laughter and shook her head. She was just relieved he hadn't made a comment about the new sneakers. Natsuko suppressed a shudder, recalling the quick conversation she had with his nurse about much of his clothing being "too damaged or stained" to return to him.

"Everything okay, Mum?" Takeru had caught a glimpse of her discomfort.

Natsuko hitched a smile back on her face. "Yeah, sweetheart. Just a cold chill. Its pretty brisk outside today. Do you want help with a sweatshirt?"

The boy stared calculatingly at his cast for a moment before nodding.

"I'll take it if it fits over this thing."

"It should," Nurse Hana walked in the door with a wheelchair. She parked it next to the bed and walked over to her charge, taking the sweatshirt Natsuko offered her. "I am very practiced at this."

Takeru chuckled as she assisted him, ignoring the lingering soreness of his joints.

"Do they teach that in nurse school? Wrestling Kids in Casts 101?" He asked, his voice muffled by the thick fabric.

Hana didn't bat an eye at the sassy comment.

"Absolutely. It was right after Getting Stubborn Children to Eat More Than the Hospital Jello class."

Takeru popped his head out of the shirt, studiously not looking at his mother.

"Takeru! The food couldn't have been that bad," Natsuko blustered, hands on her hips.

Her son grimaced at her from under his nurse's arm as she fussed with his sleeve.

"I plead the fifth."

* * *

"I thought Dad and Onii-chan were going to meet us at the hospital?" The child of hope asked, his voice full of confusion. He kept his eyes trained on the car in front of them. Looking out the side window was making his stomach churn. His eyes were still the smallest bit sore, and looking at anything that was bright or moving quickly gave him an instant, dull, throbbing headache. Just catching sight of the computer screen for a second at the hospital while they were filing his discharge paperwork had made his eyes water briefly. They had taken a whole packet with them about things he could do and things he couldn't. Also, the date he had to go back to get his cast and pins removed. Not exactly things to look forward to.

"Mom?"

His mother twitched slightly in the driver's seat.

"Sorry, Takeru. What did you say?"

"What happened to Dad and Onii-chan meeting us at the hospital?"

His mother hesitated just long enough for the blond boy to get suspicious.

"Oh, they thought you would want something to eat. So they decided to pick up dinner and meet us at home instead. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

Takeru pursed his lips. That seemed likely. He was indeed quite hungry.

"Okay…"

Silence filled the car for a little while. Natsuko seemed to be chewing her lip a lot, and Takeru could not figure out if it was because she was worried about something, or she wanted to say something, but was holding back. Goodness knows she did both often enough. The soon to be thirteen-year-old turned his gaze to the bag in his lap and could not help but smile. Rifling through it with his good hand, he tugged out the trucker hat and carefully put it on.

His mother glanced at him for a moment and did a double take.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, honey. Must you wear that one? I can't understand why Mimi got you all those bizarre things."

Takeru sent her a satisfied grin.

"My head felt naked and I like this one. And Mimi was just being silly, someone must have told her my old hat didn't fit anymore."

His mother turned her now startled gaze to the streets. Takeru strained to hear what she was saying, but his mother was muttering something too far under her breath for him to understand. A resigned look overcame her face after a minute or two and she became quiet. It hurt too much to stare at her any longer, so Takeru gave up and faced front again.

* * *

Takeru sagged slightly against his mom while she fished the apartment keys out of her pocket. It was absurd that he was used to running for hours for basketball, and suddenly a walk down the hallway left him tired and slightly lightheaded. They hadn't even used the stairs.

Natsuko took in an oddly bracing breath and muttered, "Here we go." Which confused her son quite a bit until she opened the door.

A cacophony of "Welcome home!"'s and "Surprise!"s bombarded them.

Takeru held onto the doorframe and blinked in shock. It appeared that all the chosen children, plus a few friends from his basketball team, and even Yamato's friend Akio, had congregated in his living room. It only took a moment for him to process that yes, they were all here to welcome him home from the hospital. His heart nearly burst, and he was overwhelmed with love for all these wonderful people in his life. He looked to his mom in amazement.

"Don't look at me, your brother did this," She shrugged, but her smile told him more.

Pushing himself off the door, the flabbergasted boy found his brother in the crowd of people and made a bee-line for him. Yamato laughed, catching him in a hug. Takeru flopped against his chest limply.

"Now now, it wasn't all me. Hikari got at least half of this organized," He shot the blushing girl a wink across the room. Takeru turned his head and managed a soft thank you in her direction. Hikari grinned sheepishly back.

"Dude! Are you hungry? Miyako's store sent us food!" Daisuke exclaimed. The room full of people chuckled at his exuberance and began milling about, chatting and eating. "Come sit down, I'll grab us some Takoyaki!" The goggle boy grabbed Takeru by the arm much more gently than usual and guided him to the couch before running toward the kitchen.

Yamato sat on the arm of the couch and waited patiently for their friends to finish their greetings. When it was a little quieter, he pulled a box seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to his brother.

"It's a little something from Mom and Dad. Thought it might keep you entertained until you can head back to school."

The paper wrappings went flying and two books dropped into the chosen child's lap. One was a favorite novel of his, but with the text much larger than normal. Takeru beamed at the idea of being able to read something without hurting his eyes. The other was a basketball playbook.

"I know you can't read that one for a little while, but you're going to be benched for most of the semester. Plenty of time to read up on some new plays, huh?" Hiroaki leaned over the back of the couch.

The smile Takeru sent his parents could have lit up the whole room.

"Aaaaaand… These are from everybody else," Hikari dropped a large bag at his feet.

Takeru tugged the tissue paper away, and gasped, reverently pulling out some of the contents. The bag was full of the most outlandish hats he had ever seen. Each one had a small tag and a name attached, so he knew who each one was from. The excited boy reached up and took off his trucker hat to replace it with a huge, rainbow, Dr. Seuss style tophat.

Slowly he turned, finally facing his mom with a shit eating grin. In a rather maniacal tone, he whispered to her.

"This one's even better."

* * *

 **A million thank you's to everyone who read and reviewed! I can't believe I did it. This whole thing literally started from just the silly image of Takeru with the newspaper in the hospital bed. And he was originally going to be wearing those slinky, googly eye glasses and scaring his mom.**

 **This story took a lot of research. I looked up the buslines to make sure of where the accident would happen, of which Tokyo hospital he would be sent to, of plane times and typical Hong Kong layovers. Most of the medical talk is accurate, as I researched typical head injury and brain-eye damages and symptoms. Finding out that most of the symptoms of eye strain resemble that of a migraine was actually fantastic. I know what that feels like, so the hair gripping, hot eye pain Takeru was in was terrifyingly easy to write.**

 **My friend works in a children's hospital and gave me tons of great insight onto how they speak to, and treat the young patients. All that goofiness is indeed allowed and encouraged. The psychologist is usually referred to as a resident social worker, but I wanted to scare Yamato.**

 **I may to one more chapter of Strobe. I felt bad that I was never able to include Ken's reaction to nearly losing someone else to a car crash. I don't know if I can write him very well, but I might give it a shot.**

 **Again, thank you to everyone who read. I really appreciate it.**


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